Stibnite (circa 1900)

Unknown Owner

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A Stibnite specimen this large is very significant for California, and I have never seen a bigger one for sale (hence the reason that this was once in the Smithsonian!). The 13 cm cluster is silvery with a wonderful, silky metallic luster that shines very well. This cabinet spray is considerably larger than any other Stibnite that I have seen from any of the California Stibnite localities. Tiny white xls on it may be senarmontite, but have not been analyzed. Small world that it is, a friend of mine knew the history of this important US locality specimen. It was indeed in the Smithsonian (#84405 dates it back to the early 1900s) and then exchanged out in 1974 by the legendary dealer Walt Lidstrom, by request and to obtain for a California collector specializing in stibnites, Ernest "Ruggy" Holloway. It was in his collection until 1983, when he sold the collection. At that time, Lidstrom bought it back and sold it to Kay, in whose trove it has remained ever since. A rare, large, historic specimen of importance. MINDAT notes the active mining here would date this piece to the late 1880s to about 1915: https://www.mindat.org/loc-3482.html