Wolframite (RARE old locality specimen) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

Wolframite specimens are virtually unseen from the great historic Zinnwald-Cínovec Mining Region, and I honestly can't think of another piece we've had to offer over the years. This is actually a pretty good quality example of what it is. A large, single, thick tabular crystal free of matrix with good luster and some well-formed faces. Obviously, there are some contacted areas, so the piece is not pristine, but if you're a fan of tungsten-bearing species, this is truly a worthwhile and significant specimen to add to your collection. This came labeled as Ferberite but it's probably the other similar species, Wolframite, based on later classifications and old labels don’t always relate to modern chemistry. You might not see another one of these for quite some time, so don't miss out on this one, as it almost certainly dates back 100+ years. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #11211CL. Chet was born in 1947 and started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president, and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.