Name: Spodumene var. Kunzite (1938 find)
Brand: The Arkenstone
Price: 12500 USD
Availability: InStock

Spodumene var. Kunzite (1938 find)

Free shipping
Seller offers an extended return window of up to 30 days
Ships from Not specified

This extremely sharp and complete 373 gram Kunzite crystal is one of the best examples surviving from this important old pegmatite mine that goes back over a century. It originates from a famous 1938 discovery, found at the beginning of the modern era of recovery efforts here. It was sold to Greiger and Warner by mine owner Charlie Reynolds in that era (per Warner and Greiger collection records, passed on to Bill Larson who obtained the collection). It went therefore from the mine owner Reynolds, to Greiger's personal collection (he had a dealership in LA area), to Himalaya Mine owner Bill Larson for his own collection. Bill then sold it to Cal Graeber in 2007, and it has been in his own personal San Diego collection ever since - a provenance of the most prolific collectors/dealers/miners in San Diego. In 1951 Reynolds mined a large pocket that yielded 300 pounds of fine gem Spodumene which ranged from colorless to pale pink to pale green. These particular specimens were acquired at that time or later by San Diego heiress and mineral patron Josephine Scripps. This, from the earlier find which motivated Reynolds to keep digging, is a nearly nine inch crystal and it has razor sharp edges with a complete, elongated termination at the top. It is shockingly, nearly totally gem and transparent throughout 95% of its length with only some turbid areas near the base. It is an excellent example from the County, particularly from the now almost-forgotten San Pedro Mine! This was an early and important source for Kunzite as a gemstone.