Calcite (gemmy "flower") (ex Dr. Stephen Smale Collection)

Item Description

China has produced a plethora of superb and unique Calcite specimens in recent years, and the pieces from Wenshan are no exception. This specimen is a beautiful display piece showing a "flower" or "tree"-like shape of nearly colorless (pale golden), gemmy, sharp, lustrous scalenohedral crystals in a somewhat radial spray. This piece is in great shape overall, and truly displays well from the front. I can see a couple nicked crystals, but most of them are pristne. Very attractive in person, and a wonderful Calcite specimen to add to any Chinese suite or Calcite collection. Valued at $750. Ex Dr. Steven 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/labels.asp?colid=671&page=1 ) or on Wikipedia.