Vibrant color makes these 1990s classic specimens of realgar so desirable! There is nothing like it except maybe the most gemmy rhodonites. This is from the old finds, with the best color and metallic luster, hidden away in a box for decades. The Jiepaiyu (aka Shimen) arsenic mine in China produced these spectacular specimens in the late 1990s. However, this has been mined for over 1500 years but all were destroyed for cinnabar and mercury for art and cultural items, not saved as specimens! Luckily, as China was just opening up and specimen collection was becoming more prevalent, a few pockets were saved. Sadly, what this means is that most such pieces were never recovered historically and were mined for ore, or they were damaged or destroyed due to improper, ungentle handling or packing. The realgar crystals are nearly totally pristine. The picropharmacolite sprays are a nice bonus, though hidden on the bottom of the piece. Ex. Steve Smale China collection. Please Note: this species does go into decay when exposed to a combination of sunlight, heat, oxygen. This specimen has been in a box in a drawer for nearly 30 years with no trouble, and preserves its original color and luster perfectly. As long as you keep this in a closed box in a location without high humidity, it will be fine, but it is not meant to be a display specimen in a cabinet with lights and heat.