Chalcanthite (late 1800s)

$6,000.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

This is the largest and best crystallized natural Chalcanthite that I have personally seen. It has a huge, complete crystal of neon blue, sticking straight up from matrix. It is pristine, glows when backlit, and is from an old-time locality. Chalcanthite is easily synthesized today and grown in labs all around the world for the gift shop and fake-rock markets, and it can form as post-mining or man made crystals from working copper mines such as in Arizona. Aside from the chance that this was post-mining (and in any case still naturally formed), it is highly unlikely these were being made in labs and from gift shop chemistry sets back in the early 1900s in Chile. This is, surely then, natural as the museum itself concluded in the end. The wooden display label with it likely indicates exhibition in a case of trophies brought back from one of the famous Vaux expeditions of the 1920s and put right out on display. Ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Jack Halpern collections.