Wulfenite on Cobaltoan Dolomite cast (Hefendehl Collection)

Item Description

This is a Tsumeb classic, not seen from anywhere else in the mineral world like this with such color and style: Satin lustered with local reflections and with the most vibrant pink-magenta color seen on the material, this Cobaltoan Dolomite cast is an intense color and highly textured for the varietal. These are thought to be formed as a cast after previously existing Calcite that has been since dissolved away. These are usually pale and pastel, however, this is as rich a saturated magenta-pink color as we have ever seen. It is also unusually sparkly in places! It has excellent three-dimensional form with hollowed-out rounded areas adjacent to one another. This is the best possible hot pink color, and we have seen few of these amongst thousands of Tsumeb minerals we have handled. What makes this even more unusual is the presence of numerous Wulfenite crystals on the surface! There are a few, larger, bright tan-colored, isolated wulfenite crystals that are prominent on the front of the piece that range up to just over 2 cm. Then there are several clusters of smaller wulfenite distributed around the piece (that adds to the paragenetic complexity of the piece). The vibrant color, varied textures, and mineralogy make this one of the more superlative examples of the style. It is big and looks good either vertically or horizontally. This is from the recently purchased worldwide component of the collection of Kurt Hefendehl from Zell am Harmersbach near the Black Forest. It is complete 360 degrees and valued at $6000-7500 at least. It is a cabinet-sized, 360-degree, display-worthy specimen from the best mine on the planet!