Sphalerite (SHARP tetrahedral crystals)

Item Description

The famous Dodo Mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia has produced some of the most well-known "Alpine-type" mineral specimens outside of Europe in last few decades. You'll find some of the best examples of some well-known Alpine species like Brookite and Titanite have come from Dodo. Sphalerite is RARE to find from this mine, and a specimen like this is incredibly rare. Typically Sphalerite forms in intergrown crystal clusters, rarely showing isolated crystals with textbook morphology. This piece is a stellar large miniature / small cabinet featuring a pair of razor-sharp, lustrous, jet-black, perfect tetrahedral crystals of Sphalerite measuring up to 1.5 cm, aesthetically sitting on schist matrix. There is a tiny bit of "Chlorite" coating the Sphalerites and the matrix, giving the piece a extra layer of character. The main Sphalerite crystal is in excellent condition, but the smaller one has a nick on one of the points. I've never seen another specimen of this material before, and while the locality is significant on this piece, these crystals would be exemplary from anywhere based upon their superb form and sharpness. Priced at $1,200. From the collection of Richard ("Rich") Kosnar, the well-known Colorado dealer and mineral collector (1946-2007). Rich was the namesake for the rare zirconium phosphate species Kosnarite. He loved Alpine and "Alpine"-Type minerals, and built a large collection of specimens from around the world.