Calcite and Fluorapophyllite-(K) on Prehnite (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

A rare, showy and fine quality association specimen from the Malad Quarry featuring a beautiful composite group of sharp, lustrous, vitreous, soft golden-yellow colored rhombic crystals of Calcite associated with colorless, gemmy, glistening, prismatic to blocky crystals of Fluorapophyllite-(K) sitting on a gorgeous gentle blue colored (with a slight greenish overtone) mound of sparkling Prehnite matrix. PLEASE NOTE: The Prehnite is not the same color in the photos as it appears in person. It's a bit more saturated and a bit more green in person, please keep this in mind when bidding. The largest individual crystal of Calcite measures 5.3 cm across, but the entire group of crystals is larger. It's hard to notice, but there's actually solitary Apophyllite crystal flaring DIRECTLY out of the Calcite group, which is incredibly rare in my experience. A few select faces on the Calcite group are frosted with what presumably an overgrowth of another mineral, creating a beautiful two-tone effect. The piece displays beautifully as you can see from the photos/video, and I love how the Calcite crystals are centered right at the top of the Prehnite matrix. I can't find any damage of note, outside of the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. While Calcite and Prehnite are not considered rare minerals, the combination of the two together from this locality is notably hard to find, and this particular piece might be the best one we've ever had to offer in the auctions. A magnificent example of this underappreciated material. This piece is priced at $6,000 retail in the inventory. Ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection. Along with amassing one of the finest private mineral collections in the world, Steve is a renowned mathematician. His accomplishments include being awarded the Fields Medal in 1966 along with being the awarded the Wolf Prize in mathematics in 2007. You can read Steve's bio on the Mineralogical Record website ( https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/smalestephen/ ) or on Wikipedia.