Vanadinite (classic material)

Item Description

Vanadinite may not be considered a rare species, but if it were not for the specimens from Mibladen, this mineral would be highly underrepresented around the world. For several decades now, the amazingly fine quality Vanadinites from Mibladen have stood as the pinnacle for the species in terms of size, quality, displayability and color. Sometimes a specific mineral species can be almost exclusively tied to a single world locality, and you could make a strong case for Vanadinites from Mibladen. It's amazing to think that out of all the crystallized Vanadinite specimens in the world, we haven't seen anything better for the last 50 years from any other locality, and the number of fine pieces to come out is remarkable. This attractive specimen features fine quality, beautiful deep red color sharp, lustrous hexagonal crystals on matrix. The largest crystal measures about 8 mm across. Looking closely I can't find any major damage of note, but I can see some tiny imperfections with a loupe. A good quality Vanadinite specimen from this world-famous locale.
From the collection of Gary and Terry Butts of Livermore, Colorado. This husband and wife collecting duo were childhood sweethearts, and have been together since they began dating as teenagers growing up in East Des Moines, Iowa in the 1950s. Both of them had an early interest in the hobby thanks to the fact that Terry's parents had a keen interest in lapidary, which sparked an interest in rocks for both of them. Gary and Terry were featured in an article in the Des Moines Register on Feb 4, 1962 (see photo in this listing) highlighting their interest and prowess in the hobby as youngsters. Gary traveled to various localities around the US as a teenager with his father (who worked in the tin industry), to personally collect specimens. He then attended the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado and graduated in 1967 with a degree in extractive metallurgical engineering. We went to work for Duval Corp at the Esperanza Mine south of Tucson, Arizona and then work for Cyprus Mines, Hazen Research, Pincock, Allen & Holt and the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute. His final job was in the mineral and environmental division of Intertek Testing Services of London, which owned the Canadian mineral testing company, Bonder Clegg. Gary's various jobs allowed him to travel the world and build his collection by buying a lot of specimens in person when they were coming out of the ground. Additionally, Terry's uncle was a miner in Creede, Colorado and later owned a rock shop which supplied Gary with specimens from the area. The specimens in this auction represent what Gary and Terry considered the "cream of the crop" of their collection.