Witherite (fine classic material) (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

The Witherites from Alston Moor in England, are arguably the finest examples of the species ever found. This small cabinet is a classic example of the famous specimens from the Nentsberry Haggs Mine. A 1.4 cm, sharp, well-formed, chalky white crystal of Witherite is aesthetically flaring out of matrix to create a very pleasing display quality specimen. Most of the Witherites you'll see from this mine have flat basal terminations and a bit of a "dusty" appearance on the surface. This crystal has a less common pyramidal (pseudohexagonal) habit with a slight luster and translucency when backlit. Now the termination is not 100% complete, but it's not actually damaged either as I can see it shows slight etching, but it's not broken. This specimen comes with a label from Michael Doel, that mentions August 1975, though I don't know if that it when the piece was acquired, sold or collected. OLD MATERIAL, very hard to find on the market these days. Valued at $700-$800 in today's market. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.