Sphalerite ("Ruby Jack") (ex Willard Wulff Collection)

Item Description

A cabinet sized display specimen from the famous locality at Joplin. There are not a lot of species found in this area, but the Sphalerites stand out as some of the better known examples from anywhere in the United States. This specimen comes from the collection of Willard W. Wulff (1904-1998) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a prominent figure and collector of Colorado minerals. Wulff was one of the founding members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society in 1936. You can read Willard's bio on the Mineralogical Record website here ( http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=1528 ). More than likely this piece was self-collected by Wulff who found a lot of specimens while collecting at Jopling. Sharp, complex, deep reddish-black color crystals of Sphalerite with the classic "ruby jack" appearance sit on matrix. The largest crystal measures up to 5 mm. Classic material from Joplin.