Acanthite ps. Argentite

$48,000.00

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T

The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,383 for sale·Member since 2026

Moroccan acanthites, at their best, command respect and give us a startlingly different aesthetic from older material from other locations. This specimen of octahedral, metallic, gray-black acanthite (replacement after argentite) crystals from the Imiter mine in Morocco is just spectacular. It is an incredibly artistic and three-dimensional cluster that is composed of well over a dozen crystals. The individual acanthite crystals are between 0.5 to 3 cm and are stacked artistically all over this attractive piece. These sharp, charcoal-gray metallic elongated octahedrons have relatively smooth crystal faces with good edges and points of a high quality for this important find. In technical terms to explain this replacement of one silver mineral by another, even as they formed: These are sharp, high-temperature isometric octahedrons of argentite that have converted to low-temperature monoclinic acanthite while retaining the original crystal shape. The larger crystals are well-isolated and there is even a "hole" within the piece for added sculptural aesthetics as well as a small shard of cherty matrix for added contrast. Complete all around and gorgeous from all sides, this is a superb acanthite by any standard from any locality. Paul Stahl travelled himself to Morocco at least half a dozen times, to source and obtain these when they came out in the early 2000s for his patron, Dr. Erika Pohl. He kept a few for himself (only one of each of a varied set of styles), in the process. No more of this quality has been found since the early 2000s. It remains one of the world's greatest finds of the species and this is a world class competitive example in its size class that, frankly, he would have valued it higher yet having gone through the travels to go there and find this amongst the others at the time. Ex. Paul Stahl collection.