Hopeite

$15,000.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

This is surely one of the best specimens existing of this beautiful rare species: a competitive-level, elegant display piece of a very rare mineral. Hopeite is a rare hydrated zinc phosphate with the very best specimens worldwide coming from the Broken Hill Mine of Zambia, such as this fabulous piece. This superb, well crystallized small cabinet specimen is host to well over a hundred, well-formed, orthorhombic, cream to yellowish colored crystals from a few millimeters up to 1.5 cm, which is large for the species and there are quite a few this size on this incredible piece. Even the matrix is almost a solid to crystalline mass of Hopeite. The Hopeite crystals are all quite lustrous and there are two generations of Hopeite on this attractive piece: the myriad of larger, cream colored crystals that dominate the piece and then a later generation yellowish, small, almost sugary, glistening crystals that decorate the very top of the piece, on top of the larger crystals. It is complete all around. This is a superb and very well crystallized Hopeite piece that probably dates to the 1950s-1960s. From the Dan Ehrling Collection (he stated to us that he obtained it from the Museum of South Rhodesia, 1969, in an exchange). We obtained it from Ehrlig, a major international traveler and collector active in the mid-1900s who sold the collection in the early 2000s. I bought this at the time and it went straight to Paul Stahl, where it remained hidden for decades until now. Ex. Paul Stahl collection - 29009.