Phosphophyllite (twinned)

Unificada mine, Cerro de Potosi, Potosi City, Potosi, Bolivia
Ex. Alex Schauss
Thumbnail, 2.0 x 1.4 x 0.9 cm
Start Time: 01/28/2023 7:00:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 02/08/2023 8:20:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed
Winning Bid: $16,300

Item Description

This fullsized thumbnail is an extraordinarily gemmy and fine example of one of the rarest of all mineral specimens, a gem phosphophyllite twin from Bolivia. These came out in the 1940s-1950s, and most of them were brought to market by Peter Bancroft by the early 1960s. We almost never seen one turn up for sale and all the major thumbnails, such as this, are tied up in generational collections, meaning they tend to come back to market only every 30-50 years. People keep them. They do not sell them, unless the whole collection goes. They are simply Holy Grails, and once owned, tend to stick til the very end because they simply cannot be replaced and the color is so beautiful and unique. This transparent bluish-green single twin crystal is a perfect full size, super gemmy, very clean, and has amazing luster. It has never been to a modern lab (where it could improve further in clarity and sparkle) - I know this, because it came from me to begin with. I purchased this from a group sold off in Southern California by the late Peter Bancroft, and later sold it to Alex Schauss (circa 2006). Alex has owned it ever since, as it would have been hard to upgrade - in line with the comments above about holding times on such specimens. Exhibited: One of the 35 displayed specimens that won the 2010 Paul Desautel Trophy for Best Mineral Case in Competition at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. Illustrated twice: Minerals: The Collector’s Newspaper, 2014, Vol. 8, p. 15. Also, published in Mineralogical Record, Refined Elegance: The Small Treasures of Mineralogy, November 2022 as a full page photo. Valued $9500-plus.

Did You Know We Offer Custom Bases?

Learn More

Bidding History

Bid Amount Bid Time
$16,300 02/08/2023 8:14:49 pm (CST)
$16,050 02/08/2023 8:07:48 pm (CST)
$16,000 02/08/2023 8:07:48 pm (CST)
$15,800 02/08/2023 8:02:59 pm (CST)
$15,550 02/08/2023 8:02:59 pm (CST)
$15,300 02/08/2023 8:01:43 pm (CST)
$15,050 02/08/2023 7:58:21 pm (CST)
$15,000 02/08/2023 7:58:21 pm (CST)
$14,050 02/08/2023 7:54:42 pm (CST)
$13,800 02/08/2023 7:54:14 pm (CST)
$13,550 02/08/2023 7:54:14 pm (CST)
$13,300 02/08/2023 7:52:37 pm (CST)
$13,050 02/08/2023 7:44:30 pm (CST)
$13,000 02/08/2023 7:44:30 pm (CST)
$12,750 02/08/2023 7:34:42 pm (CST)
$12,500 02/08/2023 7:34:42 pm (CST)
$12,250 02/08/2023 7:34:28 pm (CST)
$12,000 02/08/2023 7:34:28 pm (CST)
$11,250 02/08/2023 7:09:19 pm (CST)
$11,000 * 02/08/2023 7:08:55 pm (CST)
$11,000 * 02/08/2023 7:08:55 pm (CST)
$10,750 02/08/2023 7:07:57 pm (CST)
$10,500 02/08/2023 7:05:59 pm (CST)
$10,300 02/08/2023 7:05:59 pm (CST)
$10,250 02/08/2023 6:58:37 pm (CST)
$10,000 02/08/2023 6:58:37 pm (CST)
$9,900 02/08/2023 6:57:33 pm (CST)
$9,800 02/08/2023 6:57:33 pm (CST)
$9,300 02/08/2023 6:49:59 pm (CST)
$9,200 02/08/2023 6:49:59 pm (CST)
$9,050 02/08/2023 2:46:32 pm (CST)
$9,000 02/08/2023 2:46:32 pm (CST)
$8,700 02/08/2023 10:13:44 am (CST)
$8,650 02/08/2023 9:07:20 am (CST)
$8,600 02/08/2023 8:18:33 am (CST)
$8,500 * 02/06/2023 6:03:22 pm (CST)
$8,500 * 02/06/2023 6:03:22 pm (CST)
$8,450 02/03/2023 6:45:56 pm (CST)
$8,400 02/03/2023 6:45:56 pm (CST)
$8,350 02/03/2023 4:34:07 pm (CST)
$8,300 02/03/2023 4:34:07 pm (CST)
$8,250 02/03/2023 4:25:38 pm (CST)
$8,200 02/03/2023 4:25:38 pm (CST)
$8,025 02/03/2023 4:25:22 pm (CST)
$7,975 02/03/2023 4:25:22 pm (CST)
$7,850 02/03/2023 4:25:08 pm (CST)
$7,800 02/03/2023 4:25:08 pm (CST)
$7,750 02/03/2023 4:25:00 pm (CST)
$7,700 02/03/2023 4:25:00 pm (CST)
$7,650 02/02/2023 11:50:31 pm (CST)
$7,600 02/02/2023 11:50:31 pm (CST)
$7,550 02/02/2023 5:25:20 pm (CST)
$7,500 * 01/31/2023 8:43:10 pm (CST)
$7,500 * 01/31/2023 8:43:10 pm (CST)
$7,250 01/31/2023 8:13:40 pm (CST)
$7,200 01/31/2023 8:13:40 pm (CST)
$7,025 01/31/2023 8:10:59 pm (CST)
$6,975 01/31/2023 8:10:59 pm (CST)
$6,900 01/31/2023 8:10:38 pm (CST)
$6,850 01/31/2023 8:10:38 pm (CST)
$6,800 01/30/2023 5:08:40 pm (CST)
$6,700 01/30/2023 2:33:05 pm (CST)
$6,666 01/30/2023 2:33:05 pm (CST)
$6,550 01/30/2023 2:06:35 pm (CST)
$6,500 01/30/2023 2:06:35 pm (CST)
$6,250 01/30/2023 5:07:13 am (CST)
$6,200 01/30/2023 5:07:13 am (CST)
$6,050 01/30/2023 12:50:14 am (CST)
$6,000 01/30/2023 12:50:14 am (CST)
$5,550 01/29/2023 11:00:59 am (CST)
$5,500 * 01/29/2023 11:00:37 am (CST)
$5,500 * 01/29/2023 11:00:37 am (CST)
$4,450 01/29/2023 10:32:29 am (CST)
$4,400 01/29/2023 10:32:29 am (CST)
$3,950 01/29/2023 10:32:15 am (CST)
$3,900 01/29/2023 10:32:15 am (CST)
$3,550 01/29/2023 10:32:07 am (CST)
$3,500 01/29/2023 10:32:07 am (CST)
$3,250 01/29/2023 10:18:20 am (CST)
$3,200 01/29/2023 10:18:19 am (CST)
$841 01/29/2023 9:03:53 am (CST)
$816 01/29/2023 9:03:53 am (CST)
$791 01/29/2023 9:03:37 am (CST)
$766 01/29/2023 9:03:37 am (CST)
$741 01/29/2023 9:03:21 am (CST)
$716 01/29/2023 9:03:21 am (CST)
$691 01/29/2023 8:06:02 am (CST)
$666 01/29/2023 8:06:02 am (CST)
$343 01/29/2023 2:32:27 am (CST)
$333 01/29/2023 2:32:27 am (CST)
$270 01/29/2023 2:23:00 am (CST)
$260 01/29/2023 2:03:32 am (CST)
$250 01/29/2023 2:03:28 am (CST)
$240 01/29/2023 2:03:28 am (CST)
$230 01/29/2023 2:03:24 am (CST)
$220 01/29/2023 2:03:24 am (CST)
$210 01/29/2023 2:03:19 am (CST)
$200 01/29/2023 2:03:19 am (CST)
$190 01/29/2023 2:03:15 am (CST)
$180 01/29/2023 2:03:15 am (CST)
$170 01/29/2023 2:03:12 am (CST)
$160 01/29/2023 2:03:11 am (CST)
$150 01/29/2023 2:03:07 am (CST)
$140 01/29/2023 2:03:07 am (CST)
$130 01/29/2023 12:00:31 am (CST)
$120 01/29/2023 12:00:30 am (CST)
$110 01/28/2023 9:54:12 pm (CST)
$100 01/28/2023 9:54:12 pm (CST)
$30 01/28/2023 9:18:03 pm (CST)
$25 01/28/2023 9:18:03 pm (CST)
$20 01/28/2023 9:17:32 pm (CST)
$15 01/28/2023 9:17:32 pm (CST)
$10 01/28/2023 7:27:41 pm (CST)
* Proxy Bid Battle: In the event of two customers inputting matching proxy bids, the leading bid goes to the earliest of the two proxy bids. Tie winners are shown in bold.