Wulfenite (classic locality)

Item Description

The Wulfenite crystals from the Erupción Mine in the Los Lamentos Mountains of Mexico are some the most iconic examples of the species you'll find from any world locality. The have a distinctive hue and notable thickness that is rarely seen in any other Wulfenite crystals. The beautiful color adds to their allure, and they are unquestionably some of the most well-known specimens from any Mexican locale. This piece features several, sharp, blocky, lustrous crystal of Wulfenite with a dark orange color measuring up to 1.2 cm, sitting on minor Calcite matrix (which has been partially etched away) to create a rather showy display specimen. Most of the crystals are in very good condition, but please note that there are a few broken crystals on the piece, which is common not only in this material, but in Wulfenite specimens in general.
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.