Wulfenite

Item Description

Wulfenite is the state mineral of Arizona, and the most iconic examples of the species are those from the famed Red Cloud Mine. These crystals have some of the richest and most fiery color you'll find from any mine in Arizona, or just about anywhere else. This thumbnail specimen has strong reddish-orange color with brilliantly lustrous faces and modified tetragonal tabular habits on the crystals. One side reveals a predominant blade with excellent internal gemminess, while the other side of the specimen features a smaller cluster of crystals, giving the piece depth and character. There are a few small imperfections, but overall the piece is good quality with top color and presentation. This piece comes to us from the legendary Ron Romanella (February 28, 1932 - October 24, 2022), a well-known gem and mineral dealer from New York City. He studied mineralogy at Columbia School of Mines, and he was mentored by Dr. Frederick Pough of the American Museum of Natural History, and learned about the business side from well-known mineral dealers Hugh Ford and Maurice Hammoneau. Ron himself was a mentor to other successful East Coast mineral dealers such as Larry Conklin, Herb Obodda and even employed Dave Wilber for a time. He largely transitioned out of selling minerals as his business focused more on gems for the last few decades, and his sons Michael and Jerry have been running the family business in Scottsdale for many years now. With that said, Ron was one of the great powerhouse mineral dealers in the US for many years, offering fine quality specimens and gem crystals from classic and contemporary localities. Among his top achievements, is that Ron is credited with importing the first known crystals of Tanzanite into the US in the 1960s.