Sphalerite (twinned)

Unknown Owner

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This little jewel of a sphalerite is from the older finds at this famous magnetite mining district; and dates to the early 2000s. It has since been in the Dan McHugh collection. Although more specimens have come out since 2022 or so, they are entirely different from these old classics, pretty but not twinend and dramatic in crystal form. This piece is complete all around and features a transparent gem-quality twinned crystal, 1.8 cm tall, beautifully perched on other gemmy crystals of sphalerite. It is elegant, bright, shiny, and colorful. It needs almost no backlighting to sing in a display case, and the combination of golden color and shape draws the eye. For these reasons, we regard this as one of the finer competitive-level thumbnails of species and location both. It stands apart from other sphalerites from other localities; and this "twin pocket" material has not been duplicated by later mining production.