Wulfenite (good sized crystal) coated by Quartz and Calcite

Item Description

Please note: This specimen was originally labeled as coming from the Defiance Mine, but we have a small attached note with the piece that says it's actually from the Hilltop Mine, and it makes sense because the bright yellow color of the Wulfenite crystals is much more in line with Hilltop pieces, as most from the Defiance Mine have an orange hue. This attractive small cabinet specimen features several bladed crystals of Wulfenite, standing on matrix, which are largely coated by micro drusy Quartz and vitreous white / colorless Calcite. The most significant aspect of piece for me is that the largest crystal on the specimen measures 4.8 cm (nearly 2 inches) across! Unfortunately, the crystal is contacted, so it's not pristine, but it's certainly one of, if not the largest individual crystal I can remember seeing from the locality. There are a few other areas of roughness on the piece, but the impressive big crystal is what makes this a notable specimen from this well-known mine in Southern Arizona.
From the collection of Robert (Bob) Reynolds who passed in August of 2020. The piece comes with an old "BURMINCO" label. Bob was a well-known fossil and mineral expert and former Curator of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum in California. The rare phyllomanganate-chromate species Reynoldsite was named in his honor in 2011.