Quartz with Papagoite inclusions

Item Description

A stunning pair of clear terminated Quartz crystals with deep sky blue Papagoite inclusions running throughout both, in dramatic and surreal form within. Usually, the color is a soft pastel blue but this is a strong, robust color that leaps out of a case. Papagoite is very rare and only been reported from a few localities worldwide, mostly as micro inclusions. Of the four locations, only one in the world produces this striking combination in large crystals and it has been a sought after mineral classic since these came out in the early 1980s. Recent finds here of material are simply not as good as the older material, such as this piece. Exhibited: The 2012 49th Munich Gem and Mineral Show’s African Mineral theme, special invitation on African mineral thumbnails, October 2012, with show label, and in “The Best of the Best: Prize Minerals from the Vaults of Arizona Collectors”, held at the University of Arizona’s Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, from February 8 to December 23, 2014, with label. Significantly, this was illustrated in the Rocks & Minerals' Connoisseur’s Choice article, Vol. 97, No., p. 155, 2022. Also a full page photo was published in Mineralogical Record, Refined Elegance: The Small Treasures of Mineralogy, November 2022. This is a small miniature or, if angled diagonally, can just make it into the thumbnail box for competition thumbnail exhibiting. Many people consider this to be one of the finest and most beautiful mineral specimens in the entire collection of 888 display pieces. It is certainly the best thumbnail example of this material, that we have seen. Ex Irv Brown collection to Alex. Valued $5000-plus.