KRE-34
Quartz var. Chalcedony (circa 1840)
Pednandrea Mine, Redruth, Cornwall, England, UK
Cabinet, 9.7 x 8.7 x 8.3 cm
Ex. Sir Arthur Russell; Baroness Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts; John Lavin of Penzance; British Museum of Natural History; Kay Robertson
SOLD

This Chalcedony is a rarely seen old classic for this old-time and famous Cornish locality, which was closed in 1891. The complex, botryoidal growth pattern is augmented by the silky luster and golden amber color that shows up so beautifully when backlit. With such a strong provenance, this is an excellent, cabinet specimen with fine aesthetics and pedigree. Formerly in the collections of Arthur Russell and the British Museum. Note on Russell's label, a good previous provenance, as well! It is known that he obtained the Baroness' collection, and she herself had obtained the Penzance collection. Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906): Among her personal indulgences, however, was a passion for mineral collecting, and she built a large and beautiful money-no-object collection. England's premier collector, Sir Arthur Russell, obtained much of her collection following her death; the label shown here is his, in his handwriting. According to the label, it was a specimen she had obtained ca. 1847 from the Penzance mineral dealer John Lavin (d. 1856), along with much of his collection. Her mineral collection was curated in the 1860's by James Tennant (1808-1881). (https://mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=407)