This is a stunning GEM QUALITY, 100% transparent pyrargyrite from the famous find of the late 1990s (1998, perhaps), that many people feel produced the best of species gem pyrargyrites. It has a rich luster and a fine crystal shape. With backlighting, it has cherry-red color, like a cuprite, and you could cut gems from such material (as people have done). This is literally the gemmiest kind of pyrargyrite you can get, from the best find. And it is a superb thumbnail that stands on its own, as well, in a normal thumbnail exhibit case without backlighting, it will be dark and only show flecks of red, but it is still beautiful and metallic, lustrous and sparkling. These are so rare, that you almost never see one for sale. This came to Shields via the well-known East Coast thumbnail specialist Ernie Schlicter. Ernie was Shields Flynn's friend and thumbnail mentor/competitor and passed on 300 of his favorite core specimens to Shields for this collection.