Orpiment

Unknown Owner

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The finds of orpiment in Nevada some years back (around 2000), spearheaded by a professional mining company that had access for specimen collecting after a blast and on weekends, redefined how good orpiment specimens could be - particularly US opriments which had been smudge until this! The crystals are big, flashy, transparent, and came in a beautiful range of colors, from bright orange to these beautiful "butterscotch" crystals. This one has intense color. Orpiment is very soft, and bruising is common on these specimens, but this one has almost none of it except for the usual stuff around the periphery from specimen removal. Fine luster! Crystals measure to over one centimeter. Mark my words, someday these will be seen as American classics of much higher value. I have seen it happen time and again to other finds.