Quartz ''casts'' after Rhodochrosite (ex Gary Weaver Collection)

Item Description

The Zanett tunnel is named after the family that owns the Grizzly Bear Mine in Ouray. Specimen mining took place in the 1980s-1990s and produced some attractive Rhodochrosite specimens, along with attractive pieces of Quartz. . The Rhodochrosite from this mine are among some of the most sought after San Juan Rhodochrosites by Colorado collectors. This specimen is a rarely seen (for the locality) ''cast" of sugary white Quartz which has for the most part replaced the preexisting rhombic crystals of Rhodochrosite. Now there are still some remaining Rhodos on the piece, which I think enhances its charm and obviously adds a bit of color. A few of the Quartz ''casts" are actually contacted, and you can see that they're hollow inside, but still retain the original rhombic shape of the Rhodochrosite crystals. The largest ''cast" measures 1.1 cm across. Now we are using the term "casts" to describe what has taken place on this specimen, and although they were referred to as epimorphs for years, recent debate suggest that they should be called perimorphs instead. Good quality and eye-catching, and impossible to find on the market these days. There is very little Grizzly Bear material on the market, and these particular specimens are incredibly hard to find, even in old collections. From the collection of Gary Weaver of Prescott, Arizona (1944-2019). Gary was an electrical engineer who worked for many years for Hughes Aircraft in California. After retiring to Prescott, Arizona in the early 2000s, Gary rekindled his childhood love of minerals, amassing a collection of roughly 2000 specimens focusing on localities in which he and his wife had lived or visited (Mexico, Peru and the western / southwestern United States). You can read Gary's obituary here https://www.dcourier.com/news/2019/apr/27/obituary-gary-richard-weaver/