Malachite stalactites (circa late 1800s)

$3,000.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

A hefty and showy, colorful specimen of historic Bisbee malachite, unique in the aesthetic of each side/ Of course, it most obviously features a group of snake-like malachite stalactites that somehow survived being mined from a giant wall, 100 years in a box, and then found again! The malachites are completely intact on the display face, with only a contact at the top - no scratches or damage! This is already really unique, and looks so different than other surviving examples of Bisbee malachites. The bottom is polished, showing concentric circles and patterns within. The piece is a 3-dimensional specimen from one view and a carving from the other, by master lapidary Bud Standley, who specializes in working with copper minerals. A native of Arizona, lapidary artist Bud Standley grew up near the copper mines. He learned to carve gemstones in 1971, at age 19; and did all the work for the Larson family when they obtained the Ben Williams Bisbee collection; and also for Wayne Thompson with Morenci azurite. Ben Williams became the General Manager of the Copper Queen from 1882 to 1889 and had a stunning personal collection that was only relatively recently brought to market by the Larson's circa 2000; after staying in a Williams descendant's attic for nearly a century. While they sold much of the antique collection at that time, this update features pieces from the Ben Williams collection, from the late 1800s, that were kept back another 2 decades in the collection of Bill Larson as a special suite. This was a unique piece within the commemorative case of this material in Bill's home.