Fluorite With Galena

Unknown Owner

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Silicified limestone with a druse of sparkling white quartz is the matrix for a wonderful assemblage! This piece and others here feature some of the best unaltered galena I have yet seen from Bingham, and were collected by Ray DeMark on his claims in the area in the summer of 2007. This piece shows off frosted, translucent, lavender colored fluorite crystals to 1.6 cm across. Emplaced on the fluorite is a startlingly contrasting cluster of lustrous, metallic- gray, galena crystals which individually reach 3.25 cm across and look as if they were just "put on" and left to dry. They look fresh and bright, unaltered to anglesite as are most galenas I have seen from this area. They are remarkably freestanding and I dare to say this might be the best galena combo piece in recent years - certainly it is by far the best I know of, or others familiar with the locality for a long time to whom I showed it to here in Dallas....and we have collectively seen many collections and been here many times as well. Ray, who owns the claim, thought pretty highly of the piece and the pocket as well! In person, the 3-dimensional contrast really leaps out all the more. the photos just do not convey it. This is a seemingly pricey piece, no question. But it really is that good, I feel, as to be worth a premium. And I had to buy 2 TABLES full of lesser material to get these best-of-pocket galenas and then trim these out of huge blocks of massive rock. Lots of work!