Rhodochosite with Quartz

Unknown Owner

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The Sweet Home Mine, in its heyday, produced so much material in the late 1990s that certain pockets were known and tracked by name; each major pocket had a different style. Those that had a more unique or recognizable style were considered to be, and still are, more collectible and valuable to most of us. The Hedgehog Pocket was one of these - known for the combination with stark porcelaneous white quartz accents among the rhodochrosite. However, most Hedgehog material was more quartz-heavy and less rhodochrosite-rich, so the value and aesthetics lay in finding the pieces with a better balance. This is one of the more heavily red examples, with rich mounded crystallization, culminating in that gorgeous, transparent crystal atop - nearly 2 cm across! Such freestanding crystals were also rare for this pocket, as most of them lay flat or jumbled. All in all, a very important example of a famous find, which is more aesthetic and red than most. We (John Veevaert and I at the time) purchased this from the miners and sold into a prominent European collection over 20 years ago when it was contemporary; it is an honor to have it back. Aside from the points above, the beauty is simply seen with its riveting strawberry color, it is perfect and complete all around.