Name: Wulfenite
Brand: The Arkenstone
Price: 3250 USD
Availability: InStock

Updated 2d ago

Wulfenite

These gorgeous red Wulfenites were produced in 2005 and 2006, and then later in 2014 (from which this piece came), from an iron and manganese mine about 500 km south of the Mongolian border in the hinterlands of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Early on, the mine received its acclaim for these outstanding specimens of red Wulfenites as you can see why with this incredible small cabinet piece! This particular specimen is pretty much covered in fiery red, incredibly lustrous and randomly oriented Wulfenite crystals that range in size from 2 to 7 mm. The crystals are so bright red that at first glance your brain says Vanadinite(!)...and then the second look reveals them to be squarish, thin tabular crystals of vibrantly colored Wulfenite! It's a remarkable piece with small to intermediate size clusters of crystals and a few isolated ones liberally scattered on an iron and manganese oxide stained matrix. This is a nicely composed and very aesthetic Wulfenite from this remote locality and very few of this quality were ever recovered. These crystals are superb and unique from China, and different than any wulfenite from anywhere for that matter. This was a special piece kept by the Chinese dealer and collector who had the concession to mine and produce these at the time, Chen WeiGang, my "Chinese brother" from the early days of opening up China and exporting minerals together in the early 2000s. He also was the primary miner in the early days of the Tongbei Garnets and then moved his team to other locations later, so all the best of these came out through him. We purchased this from him in a hotel room in China, long after the rest came to market, as he had kept this back for himself to keep. Mining here is dead, impossible - there will be no more for a long time, if ever.

$3,250.00