Adamite var. Cuprian

Unknown Owner

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Adamite from Greece is normally not the most beautiful, colorful thing in the adamite pantheon, but occasionally we are surprised. This set of intergrown, glowing green balls has a pleasing apple-green color, excellent luster without oil or treatments of any kind, and great balance. In its size class, and for this color, it is the best I know of. The color is tricky - because it LOOKS at first glance like a Cuprian smithsonite from Tsumeb and few people have seen this quality from Greece, in person. (Note the unusual backside shot in low light for contrast, showing minor attached aragonite as well - not typical of a smithsonite pattern.) It is a full miniature. This specimen dates back a long way, probably to the late 1800s, and was in the collections of French exploration geologist Dr. Jean Behier, and then to French collector Eric Asselborn. I bought it in his collection (of which I purchased the largest portion of worldwides with my partner Wayne Thompson, in 2006), and sold it immediately to NJ collector James Zigras, who quietly amassed one of the most important collections in the USA of historic Greek minerals as a tribute to his heritage. Having just sold part of that collection, it is now back in the market after another decade in a hidey-hole, after I bought it back. Interestingly, I saw recently that in the mid-2010s a European dealer bought up TWO other larger Greek collections, and there were many inferior specimens to this piece priced between 10,000 and 18,000 British pounds sterling, that just had little green peas on matrix compared to this important specimen. Those seem to have sold, too.