Pyrite on Quartz

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The Spruce Claim in Washington State is famous for its outstanding Pyrite/Quartz combinations, of which this is a truly dramatic and memorable example. This location is high altitude, reachable only by helicopter, and is notoriously difficult to collect at. Specimens like this, in this collection, would date to the 1970s-1980s. Two lustrous and golden Pyrite crystals, 2.3 and 2.0 cm on edge, respectively, sit impaled atop a single clear Quartz crystal. The aesthetics of this presentation are quite amazing, and there is a bonus to this in that the 2 cm Pyrite is a perfect cube while the larger crystal is the far less common tabular form. This location requires a helicopter for access, and the sheer beauty and rarity of these specimens justifies the extraordinary efforts to get there. This is a terrific small-cabinet specimen whose simplicity adds to its beauty. Even better in person. This is to our minds, one of the most sharp and aesthetic miniature combination pieces we have seen in decades of watching this mine.