Bournonite w/ Sphalerite (important, old classic) ex Charles Noll Coll.

Item Description

An outstanding, old-time and rare large bournonite combination specimen from the historic locality (note we had miscopied an erroneous AMerican label in the initial posting, but the text and value match to this, the correct adn quite classic, French locality). Robust waxy luster, metallic-gray, curved prisms, to about 4.0 cm, richly cover the large sculptural mounded matrix, that looks like a fish! Some of crystals have the classic "cogwheel" form. Fields of sparkly rubyjack sphalerite crystals are scattered about on the edges and are a rare and excellent accessory. The old-timer undoubtedly dates to the 1800s. Ex Charles Noll Collection, a prominent Wisconsin collector, who passed away in 2014. Rare and very fine large combination valued at $2000-or more. If I saw this on a shelf in Europe at the Munich show, where such old sulfides tend to come back to the light of day, I would expect a much higher price among the crowd that knows and appreciates them more. While bournonite as a species is more widely available today than in the past due to large finds in China and Bolivia, this remains one of the most important classics, and is quite different. A cabinet piece like this is seldom seen.