Pyromorphite

$12,000.00

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T

The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

The best yellow pyromorphites came out from a small mine in Idaho, now a Superfund site, in the mid 1980s. Wayne Sorenson, who ran an assay firm nearby, had the luck and skill to collect the pockets - all following a much older level of the mine actually way above where modern mining was working at the time. Needless to say, they mined the pockets out - and no more have been found since. In over 100 years of operation on and off since the late 1800s, only one zone of pyromorphite was found; and even if this gets cleaned up and removed from the Superfund toxic site list, it would be a miracle to find another needle in a haystack find here. We do not think it likely. Specimens like this simply have not been seen on market in a long time, and only return generationally as the collections that hold them are recycled. Despite the size and softness of this mineral, there is NO DAMAGE to the "green-yellow" face and very little on the yellow-green face (just a few tiny bruises and one broken crystal tip). This piece came from Wayne long ago, and back to him when he built a later collection of lead minerals after he retired; and then to us in a roundabout manner. It is interesting, as well, for the way the two sides are so different: different texture, crystal shape, and even shades of yellow-green color. Either side works and it comes down to personal taste, I suppose. It is honestly hard to say which side we like better! The piece is an excellent example in the size range, with large crystals and stunning color.