Spessartine with Albite and Muscovite - image 1

Spessartine with Albite and Muscovite

Unknown Owner

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Among the most rare and desirable of USA Gem species, here is a CLASSIC U.S. and San Diego County Spessartine piece dating back to the oldest era of production when the best came out of the Little Three Mine and went to museums back East. This is an extraordinary specimen as it features a 2.2 cm crystal in association with Albite. The Spessartine is bright tangerine orange with none of the typical cracking problems you tend to see in these things, and is super lustrous and gemmy with great contrast against the off-white Albite. Specimens with crystals like this are few and far between; most of those that were found are etched and partially dissolved in situ, and so are not notable for collectors. Although contacted on the back, this displays amazingly from the front and looks very similar to other specimens of similar size which have recently changed hands in the price ranges over $100,000 from the Fisher and Harris collections (both of those specimens being more complete 360 degrees, though at a price). ANY large, intact Spessartines of this size are very scarce on the market - and even in the major collections in San Diego where they are considered one of the top collectibles from the area. Despite numerous attempts to rework the deposit over the last 100 years, precious few have been found. An exceptional display miniature, this Spessartine small cabinet combo specimen has a historical bonus. It was long in the collection of DuPont heir Irenee du Pont (1876-1963) and then in the University of Delaware museum before being exchanged out long ago (not recently, as the collection has moved and been rearranged, and deaccessions are no longer ongoing). Note that there is a biographical full length book on the collector and his wonderful collection available at https://mineralogicalrecord.com/bookdetail.asp?id=127