Linarite Ex. Bement Collection - image 1

Linarite Ex. Bement Collection - image 2

Linarite Ex. Bement Collection

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Linarite is one of the most intensely colored members of the mineral kingdom and a highly desired species from these old English locales. This specimen features a cluster of glassy and gemmy, deep blue linarite crystals, to 7 mm in length. All this is on an attractive, copper-stained quartz matrix. Importantly, the provenance of this Roughton Gill specimen is incredible: originally in the collection of Dr. C. Hintze of Strasbourg, then to Clarence Bement of Philadelphia in 1875 (note the price of $7.50 on the label - which could have bought a horse at the time and represents the huge significance attached to owning such a piece of this new species!). Finally this specimen went to J. Pierpont Morgan in 1900 who presented it to The American Museum of Natural History with the rest of the Bement collection in 1910. From the museum itwas exchanged out to Ralph Sutcliffe in 1991, some 80 years later. The AMNH accession card has been copied, showing the original Hintze label and Bement's notes from his collection catalogue. All in all, for sharp quality of the crystals, historical import, and interesting provenance, this seems a special linarite specimen.