Pyromorphite (classic material)

Item Description

What a fine and eye-catching cabinet sized display specimen of this classic, historic material featuring a full coverage of lustrous, sharp, well-formed, vivid olive-green colored hexagonal crystals, (some of which show slight hoppered/skeletal form) sitting on sandstone matrix. The crystals are not large, they measure up to about 3 mm, but the richness, strength of color, coverage and beautiful morphology of the crystals are striking and noteworthy. The piece is best seen under magnification, and we've done our best to illustrate the quality in the micro photos. Mining ceased at this ancient lead mine around 1880, but I'm told that some recent discoveries have been made, though I don't think the mine was operational.
From the collection of Kurt Hefendehl (#530 D), a well-known German collector all over Europe with worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. He started collecting seriously at the age of 14 and his great and varied worldwide collection reached over 6000 pieces. He was very active mineralogically until shortly before his passing in 2020 at the age of 82. Considering his collection had a large number of pieces, it still had an unusually high standard of quality from most worldwide localities. He particularly specialized in all classics as well as minerals of the Black Forest, where he spent much time collecting. His Black Forest and German subcollections went to his good friend Wolfgang Wendel. We at The Arkenstone have the privilege of offering the remainder of this great worldwide collection for the foreseeable future through our various platforms.