Chalcopyrite on Calcite

Unknown Owner

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One of the most memorable finds in China for me, will always be stumbling across this memorable pocket being unpacked onto tables in the freezing cold winter air of the Shanghai Show in 2008, in the former Russian Embassy in the middle of Shanghai (within walking distance of our office and gallery there at the time!). These calcites, covered with sparkling chalcopyrite, remain an iconic find that has never been seen since. The combination occurs often enough in both Hunan and Hubei provinces, but not in the same style as this sparkling drapery of golden metallic crystals on dogtooth calcites. We bought all we could at the time; and now get these back, only occasionally, in old collections as they recycle. This specimen has sharp crystals to 2 cm, liberally covered with golden sparkles. It is not pristine, but most of them were similar, with little spots of damage or missing coating, and it is just how it is. In fact, after I bought two tables of the pristine and better specimens on the first two days of the show as they unpacked, I came back later and caught them mixing glue and paint and crumbled crystals to make a paste and paint on the chalcopyrite coating over damaged tips — right there, at the booth, in front of all! New dealers… first show, and no clue. I would rather have some slight (but natural) defect, instead of paint and glue on my rock!