Pyromorphite

Unknown Owner

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Les Farges is one of the premier localities in the world for Pyromorphite. I have seen some of the most intense green hues for the species from this mine, and they are among the most classic specimens from not only France, but perhaps all of Europe. This specimen comes from the Richard A. Kosnar collection, and according to his son Brian, the specimen was purchased from French dealer Christian Gobin (father of Christophe and Bryce Gobin) in 1976. At the time, the specimen had been recently mined, and for a contemporary piece, the quality and color very impressive. The highly lustrous, sharp, prismatic, hexagonal crystals on this specimen are actually somewhat translucent, but the intense apple green color is what makes this piece so special. Most Les Farges specimens have a hint of brown or yellow in the crystals, and this piece is about as pure green as I have seen from the locality. Please note that under halogen lights, the crystals appear a bit lighter in color, but under mercury bulbs, the color is more intense.