Calcite (Butterfly Twin on Matrix!) - image 1

Calcite (Butterfly Twin on Matrix!) - image 2

Calcite (Butterfly Twin on Matrix!)

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This stunning specimen looks bright and new, but is definitely from the classic mid to late 1800's finds of these sharp calcite twins, that reigned as the kings of twinned calcite for a century after. Heart twins from Egremont are an "essential classic" in that they are beautiful and important at the same time, and I think add depth to any collection that has more common styles of calcite. Aside from one (barely passing) similar pocket from China about 5 years ago, there still is nothing else like these around from other locales. Most of these twins were collected in the 1860s til 1880s, and famous British dealer John Graves handled the majority (CLICK HERE to see his old advertisement from 1895!). Normally, you would want a floater twin to have the "classic" style. However, this is much more rare, and unexpected - a twin on matrix! It measures 9 x 8.5 x 5 cm thick, and is REALLY CLEAN with no damage and total translucency not marred by internal spots of color or matrix inclusions as so many are. In person it is bright and shiny, no hint of old dinginess. A twin this fat is unusual, this symmetric and undamaged more so, and on matrix...really there are just a few known examples. To cap off the piece, there are small prismatic calcite crystals at the bottom, total gems no less, that serve as a nice accent between the twin and its matrix host. I collected calcites for 20 years, and I NEVER had the chance to get such an aesthetic, fine, matrix heart twin as this one during that time. I know of a few bigger, a few smaller, with matrix association - but still, a vanishingly small number