Pyromorphite (circa late 1800s)

Item Description

This classic old Pennsylvania Pyromorphite weighs almost one kilogram and it dates from the mid 1800s, when Pennsylvania lead mines were one of the most important sources of lead for ore and warefare, in the Americas! So few large and rich specimens, survived those days. These were literally ore for the economic needs of the mine. Most large pieces are now in Museums. It is composed almost entirely of dense clusters and aggregates of bright, pistachio green Pyromorphite crystals ranging anywhere from a few millimeters up to 1.5 cm. Wheatley Mine (and Charles Wheatley himself was a mineral collector) represents "one of the other" less common American localities for the species today, as they are seldom seen for sale. This piece has multiple layers or zones of Pyromorphite with each individual layer just crowded with lustrous, prismatic crystals with the layers separated by thin, 2 to 3 mm septa of granular Pyromorphite resulting in one large, hefty and brightly colored Pyromorphite specimen! Sadly, no old labels survive, but the documentation of Kurt's catalog and the immediate visual look of these, make it obvious at first sight that this is an important Wheatley specimen. Valued $4000-plus.