Liroconite on Quartz. Wheal Gorland, St Day. Cornwall. England, UK. ... ...

Description

Liroconite on Quartz
Wheal Gorland, St Day
Cornwall
England, UK

Of all the Copper Arsenates, Liroconite has to be the prettiest and is considered one of the Holy Grails of mineral collecting. Rock Currier knew what he had when he procured this extremely rare specimen. The depth of the turquoise blue color is best appreciated in person, as the saturation of its color is extreme. Wheal Gorland was the source of the 'type species' with this locality still standing as the premier one for this mineral. Classic Wheal Gorland Liroconite tends to appear as flattened octahedrons, as it does here, and the largest crystal measures 0.8 cm in width. This Liroconite specimen features a cluster of vibrant crystals. The fine specimen exhibits the typical dark brown matrix with green areas, probably Olivenite. The crystals are in fine condition, and the massive Liroconite is just that: massive. This classic specimen is quite well documented with labels from past collections and, obviously, a larger example of a variety that is quite valuable in even thumbnail sizes. This historic piece is also accompanied by a custom engraved acrylic base.
Overall Measurements: 2.79 x 2.07 x 1.37 inches (7.08 x 5.27 x 3.48 cm)


Provenance: Ex. Rock H. Currier Collection #599, Ex. The Bivins Collection


[Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]

Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000.

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