Pyromorphite (Arsenian) (ex Dave Bergman Collection)

Item Description

The Bunker Hill Mine is a famous lead-zinc-silver producer that was the source of some of the finest Pyromorphite specimens ever found in the Western Hemisphere. The mine operated for a century (closing forever in 1988), and fine quality specimens such as this one are difficult to obtain on the market, especially 40 years after it came out of the ground. This piece is a beautiful and richly colored cluster of lustrous orange botryoids of Arsenian Pyromorphite measuring up to 7 mm across. The luster is rather high and each "sphere" looks almost wet, and in good lighting, the color is good for these well-known Arsenian Pyros! A beautiful piece of this classic material, and a great miniature to add to your collection! This piece comes from the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired from mining, but spent many years underground, including as the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s. He is also the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".