Chalcocite pseudomorph after Covellite (excellent) (Pictured in the Mineralogical Record)

Item Description

A superb and highly impressive, hefty cabinet-sized display specimen featuring dark blue-black colored Chalcocite which has pseudomorphed after bladed crystals of Chalcocite, which have formed semi-"rose"-shaped groups, sitting on a matrix composed mostly of massive Pyrite with Quartz and Chalcocite mixed in. Individual crystals measure up to 2.8 cm. It's quite possibly the best example of this specific material that we've ever had to offer, and it's not just a fine specimen from Butte, or a fine quality pseudomorph, it's transcendent in its nature for the size, quality and rarity on the market. The piece is in amazingly good condition, with no major damage I can find, and it displays wonderfully as you can see from the video. While these pseudomorphs are well-known from the Leonard Mine, they are still few and far between, and pieces of this size and caliber are virtually non-existent on the market. Certainly one of the top specimens from George's Butte suite, impossible to replace, and if you collect minerals of Butte, or pseudomorphs, it's a world-class example.
The piece has added value based upon the fact that is was part of the pseudomorph collection of Ed Swoboda, the well-known collector, dealer and miner from California (you can read about Ed's impressive achievements on the Mineralogical Record website at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/swobodaedward-r/). And speaking of the Mineralogical Record, this specimen was pictured in the Butte Issue (Jan-Feb 2002 on Page 46, Fig. 46), making it all the more desirable and valuable.
I put this one in the $12,000-$15,000 range for the aforementioned size, quality and scarcity on the market. Pieces like this are incredibly difficult to find, and they are typically only seen in private collections and museums.
Ex George Loud Collection No. 3950; 2321 MT.2. George (born August 16, 1942) is a well-known mineral collector from Washington, DC and South Carolina respectively, and was a patent lawyer by trade for over 50 years. He assembled one of the great mineral collections in the U.S., comprising worldwide specimens, and in later years he sold the worldwide specimens to focus on minerals of the United States, specifically locality suites with an emphasis on amazing representation of species while still maintaining fine quality. The specimens remarkably range from micros to all the way up to large cabinets in size. We recently acquired most of his impressive 9000+ piece collection, and the VAST majority of these pieces will be offered here in the auctions, as we feel that everyone deserves and equal opportunity at acquiring these important, well-documented and fine quality specimens for their collections.
See: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/george-loud for more information