J11-03
Amethyst
Valenciana Mine, Amatitlan, Guerrero, Mexico
Large Cabinet, 17.4 x 6.4 x 5.9 cm
Ex. University of Arizona Mineral Museum
SOLD
This intensely grape-juice purple amathyst cluster is from the famous finds of 1991, a find which combined the famous color of the locality with both size AND luster. Most pockets had 1 or 2 of these qualities, but not all three in the same specimen. Still to this day, this is remembered as one of the best pockets ever from the locale, and I would argue it ranks among the best pockets of amethyst, period. The piece is complete all around, showing wonderful 3-dimensionality in volume. It looks as if the two major crystals are "curled" around each other, points going different directions and making the piece more space-filling than most such clusters - where the terminations come to a single common center, with mass concentrated more around the lower-base. There is some contacting and minor damage around the bottom periphery only; and I will mention a very trivial, eye-unseen ding atop that you can spot only on close examination - but the major crystals are pristine where it matters, and you have this wonderful 3-dimensionality that I think makes this piece more dramatic than most such. The piece was purchased in 1991 by Hubert de Monmonier, after the find. It was never cleaned until I obtained in in an deal with the University of Arizona Museum, where his collection was bequeathed. Hefty, at approx 600 grams. Never cleaned, and never trimmed to stand well, and hence never shown on display in the museum.