Stolzite (found 1908)

Unknown Owner

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Honestly, this was hard to believe when I first saw it...but it is legitimate. Huge crystals of stolzite, a lead tungstate, compose the entirety of this old-time European classic! And what a piece this is! Not only is it significant for the large terminated crystals and its heft, the "experienced" label indicates that it dates from 1908 and originates from the type locality at Zinnwald in the Erzgebirge. (MINDAT: A famous tin deposit. One part of the deposit is situated in Saxony, Germany (Zinnwald), the other in Bohemia, Czech Republic (Cinovec)). The crowded tetragonal crystals result in a cockscomb texture when viewed from the side, more typical of quartz let alone stolzite. A great classic! It really does look like quartz at first glance. I have never seen a comparable specimen for sale.