I think this is the most dramatic such examples i have seen from this classic locality, of primary malachite. Here it has formed a stack of sharp 3-dimensional crystals stacked one upon another like a green tidal wave cresting over the atoll of amber-colored calcites. All is complete, even around the edges of the malachite. The crystals have a true and vibrant chatoyance, vibrating and shimmering - not just the normal matte or velvety green color! The horizons on the edges are good, in other words, not just broken off chunks. It is an exceptional piece for the locality, and for primary malachite in general (that is, malachite in large crystals that forms on its own, rather than as a replacement of azurite). I just traded this from the well-known Jack Halpern collection, in San Francisco. Jack is pushing 90 and still going strong, with 2500 specimens to think about and keep him healthy. I am not usually so impressed by malachite in general but this one, overall, for size and aesthetics, i just love! And, frankly I love having something very nice to offer to others from "Gentleman Jack's" wonderful collection, obtained in what I think was a fair exchange. He is such a nice person, and treasures each of his rocks so much, that every parting is a little painful and every piece deaccessed is a barter battle to be remembered. Nevertheless, that is what makes one of his pieces all that much more interesting to see on the market again, after some years or decades in his collection.

This stunning specimen looks bright and new, but is definitely from the classic mid to late 1800's finds of these sharp calcite twins, that reigned as the kings of twinned calcite for a century after. Heart twins from Egremont are an "essential classic" in that they are beautiful and important at the same time, and I think add depth to any collection that has more common styles of calcite. Aside from one (barely passing) similar pocket from China about 5 years ago, there still is nothing else like these around from other locales. Most of these twins were collected in the 1860s til 1880s, and famous British dealer John Graves handled the majority (CLICK HERE to see his old advertisement from 1895 !). Normally, you would want a floater twin to have the "classic" style. However, this is much more rare, and unexpected - a twin on matrix! It measures 9 x 8.5 x 5 cm thick, and is REALLY CLEAN with no damage and total translucency not marred by internal spots of color or matrix inclusions as so many are. In person it is bright and shiny, no hint of old dinginess. A twin this fat is unusual, this symmetric and undamaged more so, and on matrix...really there are just a few known examples. To cap off the piece, there are small prismatic calcite crystals at the bottom, total gems no less, that serve as a nice accent between the twin and its matrix host. I collected calcites for 20 years, and I NEVER had the chance to get such an aesthetic, fine, matrix heart twin as this one during that time. I know of a few bigger, a few smaller, with matrix association - but still, a vanishingly small number