Baryte (doubly-terminated) on Calcite (classic material)

Item Description

Baryte is a fairly common mineral, found in many localities around the world, but a good number of those crystals are not typically GEM quality, nor are they richly colored. I will also note that a lot of Baryte crystals are rather flat / tabular, and still you don't find a great deal of gem material. This is NOT the case for the world-class specimens from Elk Creek, South Dakota which are among the most beloved and popular Barytes from any locality in the Western Hemisphere. Their superb quality, crystal form and color have put them in the higher tiers for the species among collectors. The specimen features a predominant, sharp, well-formed, gemmy, beautiful rich amber-golden color doubly-terminated crystal measuring 5.1 cm aesthetically flaring off sparkling grey-brown drusy Calcite on matrix. There are sections of the Baryte crystals that are virtually WATER-CLEAR, and I cannot find any real damage, outside of the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. Valued $1,500. An eye-catching and dramatic example, that sits beautifully on its own without the aid of a base or clay, due to the fact that the matrix was trimmed in a manner to allow for easy display. One of the better pieces we've had from this locality to offer in the auctions recently.
This piece comes from the personal collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman, the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. Dave is now retired from mining, but he worked for decades in various mines underground in Colorado, as a miner, mechanic, engineer, shift boss and foreman. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the foreman and the primary person in charge of mining and specimen recovery at the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado in the 1970s alongside his son-in-law, Rich Kosnar. This project what was the FIRST ever operation for specimen recovery at this historic locality. A full-page photograph of Dave can be seen mining underground at the Sweet Home in on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".