Smithsonite var. Cuprian

$7,500.00

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Lavrium (or Laurium) is one of the most ancient and important mining localities in the world, as it literally influenced the course of Greek civilization. It has been mined for thousands of years. Specimens, however, were rarely saved until the 1800s, and little is known about the historic wealth of minerals here. We can only be thankful for what has been saved. This is an important Greek smithsonite because of the size, condition, shocking bright color, and the unusual structure of the crystal clusters spaced nicely on white rock matrix. It is not an aesthetic we see from here - or anywhere. It looks very different than Tsumeb’s cuprian smithsonites, which are about the only comparable otherwise. The piece is big and showy, and three dimensional. It is pristine. It looks like a “color burst” from some white foam beneath. Most Greek smithsonite is simply not so colorful. From the George Witters collection.