Name: Wulfenite
Brand: The Arkenstone
Price: 8500 USD
Availability: InStock

Updated 2d ago

Wulfenite

There are many Red Cloud wulfenites from many pockets, but this is a unique style and large display size from the most famous iconic pocket for large shiny crystals in the modern era. Perched aesthetically on a contrasting dark gossan matrix are several largely isolated crystals of lustrous and translucent, rich orange-red wulfenite from the famous Red Cloud Mine. There are about two dozen wulfenite crystals on this showy piece and six of them are are rather large at 1 to up to 2.5 cm across; and with numerous smaller crystals between 4 and 7 mm. The matrix is silicified, which means it is hard and solid and stable, not fragile and powdery as is the Red Cloud matrix from some other finds. The translucent to somewhat transparent crystals are textbook habit with broad, tabular faces with tapered edges BUT they are not normal at all for quality: the quality is superb with a highly lustrous, almost metallic surface! This is about as bright and shiny as these ever got, top of the find. The brightly colored wulfenites are largely confined to one side of the plate and are in stark contrast to the dark brown matrix so they stand out nicely! The isolation and separation on matrix is very unusual, in fact; and it is in remarkably good condition with no repairs and only a few smaller crystals down low, showing any damage at all. This specimen dates to the 1996 April Fool's Pocket found at the end of March of that year, collected over the following 3 weeks by Wayne Thompson and his partners he was mining the Red Cloud Mine. This was the most successful modern mining venture for any Arizona wulfenite mine, and the most famous single pocket in the modern era of Arizona wulfenite. Wayne is rightly remembered as the "Wulfenite King" from those days. He sold off a large part of the top and highly valued specimens, and consigned or sold out most of the $1-10k items through Dave Bunk. Jack bought this from Dave in the year following, for $5500 at the time. NOTE: Not for any kind of shipment, sorry; but we can arrange hand delivery to most locations.

$8,500.00