J11T-116
Cuprite
Phoenix Mine, Linkinhorne, Cornwall, England
Miniature, 4.5 x 3.0 x 2.4 cm
Ex. Grace Dearborn
SOLD
A superb example of the rare habit of cubic cuprite crystals, showing modified corner terminations, that made this locality famous for the species. Few are seen today and this piece was almost certainly collected in the early to mid-1800s. It was in the well known collection of heiress Grace Dearborn in the early 1900s, and then in the collection of Phil Scalisi, a well known collector of the classics on the East Coast. The specimen is actually red in good lighting, more so than most from there, and the cubic shapes are fascinating and contain subtle details. Association of a microcrystallized green mineral is also present.