Strontianite With Celestite

Unknown Owner

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This fine strontianite specimen has a SUPERB 3.5-cm crystal with the BEST translucency and rich waxy color and high luster I have yet seen in this material. The crystal is exhibiting stepped growth, which throws off many facets and makes this prettier than ost of your basically-brown minerals tend to be. It looks sparkly, in other words. Added to this is that the strontianite has a contrasting matrix of lustrous, white, celestine crystals, to .3 cm across. The quality of this miniature is incredible - to me, I cannot imagine a better one from the locale and I think this is world class. So did Bill SMith, a noted collector of rarities. He bought this for $3.50 in 1958...a lot of money at the time for a rare locality specimen! These date back to the 1800s, although some have also been found more recently. It I s impossible to say when this came out but I suspect it is an older one due to the fact I haven't seen modern examples of such quality