Adamite on Limonite
Unknown Owner
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The most classic style for Mexican adamite are these so-called "pinwheels" which are seldom seen for sale today. What is nice about the habit is that, even though the mine is still producing, it has not produced adamites of THIS style in over 30 years (so there is some security in the raritiy amongst other more common styles of adamite). This specimen features several of these aesthetic pinwheels, to 2 cm across, emplaced aesthetically on an ocherous limonite matrix which gives them great contrast. The adamites are lustrous and brilliantly sparkling! Few plates of this size and quality have come back to market in recent years, and they were probably mined in the 1960s or 1970s. The adamite fluoresces an intense lime green color as a bonus. Ex. collections of Martin Zinn and Dave Stoudt. Zinn was one of the biggest collectors of Mexican minerals until selling his collection in 2003, and had a particularly famous stash of adamites. When the collection sold, the dealership selling it off asked what seemed to me like astonishing prices for the species (this was priced at $10, 500 in that sale event). While I have seen some adamites maintain these numbers over the years, I valued this specimen in an exchange at a somewhat lower cost than he paid for it, to suit my own sense of the value of these old pieces. It is nevertheless a superb example, and I do think time will continue to show a (more gradual) rise in adamite valuations from this classic locality.
Product details
SpeciesAdamite
SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions9.1 x 7.4 x 4.1 cm
Added on10/23/2024
LocalityMexico, Durango, Ojuela Mine
Known provenance
| Date | Collector | Acquisition price |
|---|---|---|
| 08/2024 | Unknown Owner | Not disclosed |
| — | The Arkenstone | Not disclosed |
Comments