Quartz ("Floater") (ex Paul Zerfass Collection)

Allos area, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Miniature, 4.3 x 2.2 x 1.6 cm
Start Time: 08/31/2017 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
End Time: 09/07/2017 6:45:00 pm (CDT)
Auction Closed

Item Description

This specimen came labeled as "bitermine", which is the French word for bi-terminated or doubly-termianted. I've seen the word used with Quartz crystal pendants as well, which are cut and polished into perfect hexagonal crystals. This piece is not only superb quality with razor sharp faces and high luster, but it's actually a complete doubly-terminated "floater". It's hard to say if it's a single crystal or two crystals intergrown to give the appearance of a single crystal, especially since one end is amazingly gemmy and clear, while the other end has a slightly more translucent / milky quality. I can't find any damage with the naked eye, and it's such an intereesting Quartz crystal in terms of habit. Great quality and very eye-catching in person, so don't let the photos fool you, it's better when you hold it in your hands. From the collection of the long time, well-known French field collector, Paul Zerfass (Collection #283). Zerfass built this worldwide collection over nearly 50 years, many of which were personally collected. A biography featuring specimens from his collection (along with his face on the cover) is in the May - June 2017 issue of French mineral magazine, Le Regne Mineral. We have a .pdf copy of the article for anybody interested in reading it (though it's mostly in French). Just drop us a line and know that you'd like to have a copy.

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