Benitoite on Natrolite

$7,500.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

A dramatic and important display-quality benitoite thumbnail featuring the most desired of all "benny" crystal displays - a sharp triangle perfectly displayed, standing up on white matrix of natrolite! It has had restorations done. This contrast of blue on white is the most desired format for a fine thumbnail, and still it needs be balanced to fit in a TN box or competitive display size - as this is. This was one of the more important pieces in the Flynn thumbnail collection, which we purchased in 2018. It is important for the size, balance, style, and history as well (a succession of well thought of thumbnail collectors who each held this for decades). The crystal atop has a long edge that is 2 cm, and the short side is 1.5 cm. The tip has very minor epoxy restoration (undetectable except by UV light), as it had a ding and so it had been displayed sideways to shift that out of view to the side in the old days, but now can be displayed perfectly upright. I believe the restoration to be necessary and minimal, so I had it done. The piece was purchased by Ernie Schlichter, legendary East Coast thumbnail guru and field collector, from his friend Bill Forrest, in 1994. At that time, Forrest owned the main benitoite claim along with partner Buzz Gray, and it was producing still. It is technically still there, but has not produced anything of this quality since a mining project in the early 2000s. When Ernie's family sold the collection, his friend Shields Flynn was given first choice of thumbnails and purchased this and a number of others from the family. This was never on the market.