Chalcocite (circa 1800s)

$13,500.00

Free shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from USA

T

The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

This is an important and pretty display quality example of chalcocite from one of the most famous of all old and classic mineral specimen localities, and it is in unusually excellent display quality. We have not seen one this good for sale in many years. It is from Connecticut, and in fact a major East Coast and USA collectible among those who loved both history and quality, famous in mineralogy textbooks and records for hundreds of years. Historically, Cornwall, UK and Bristol, Connecticut are the top localities for chalcocite; and the mines are long-closed. This was the major USA locality and still is considered the place for iconic examples of this species, seen in our major museums. This quarry produced metal for the Civil War and so these specimens date to the mid-1800s or even a bit earlier. Examples like this only come available when old collections are sold off. It is from the old dealer company of paris, Boubee and family. This is an exceptional and bright cluster of metallic dark, gunmetal gray, randomly oriented, prismatic crystals from 1 to 2.1 cm in size. The prism faces are noticeably striated and the essentially flat terminations on most crystals exhibit and intricate geometric design. Attachment point at the bottom and the crystals show very minimal contact or damage that isn't obvious at all on this overall very pristine yet antique specimen. This is as sharp and three-dimensional as a miniature from this famous locality gets! It is aesthetic and very well balanced. It's accompanied by a custom engraved acrylic base. For more on the fascinating history of the accompanying label: https://mineralogicalrecord.com/biographies_labels/boube-nre/