Proustite

Unknown Owner

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Nestled in a vug in massive red proustite, are many spearpoint crystals of lustrous and translucent, vivid red proustite, to 1.25 cm in length (large for the locality!). When lit, the whole specimen glows red. This specimen and its accompanying labels date it back to the 19th century. It is easy to see why this species has long been given the term, "ruby silver," but few classics from this locality have survived. Ex collection of Dr. Edward David. It was sold to Ed by noted Czech researcher and mineral dealer Josef Vajdak, who told me that he had obtained it (as noted on Ed's label) from a small mineralogy museum near Pribram where he grew up. Josef is certainly one of the top experts of and colectors of old Czech silver species and Ed also specialized in worldwide silver species, so the ownership of this piece indicates the import placed on it by others.