Purchased directly from mine owner Tony Otero at the mine in 1989, this is a stunning, important example of the deep blue aurichalcite that is almost unobtainable in quality from the famous Kelly Mine. Few people have actually seen in-person the great aurichalcites from this locality known for smithsonite, which many of us consider to be best of species in terms of size and beauty of the specimens, that ALSO came from this mine in just a few small pockets over decades. Tony collected this himself. It was a choice small cabinet piece in his personal collection, as mine owner of the Kelly for decades. David was building an Arizona/New Mexico suite and they made a deal, and it has been in the Stoudt collection since 1989. We have only ever seen or had a handful of these for sale, generally larger pieces but also pricier as a result. For most collectors this is not only the ideal size, but also a price point that works for many collections. It is one of those rare USA origin minerals that will not be generally seen for sale, and which we do not expect to come out of the mine again (and has not, since the early 1980s). Beyond the obvious importance of the aurichalcite, this piece is accented by a few sharp "rice grain" crystals of translucent Kelly-blue smithsonite, a rare habit of crystallized smithsonite for this locality, and one known for the combination of the aurichalcite association.