Hauerite Destricella Mine, Raddusa, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy...
Hauerite Destricella Mine, Raddusa, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy "A sharp brown black floater octahedron measuring about 1.25 inches on an edge. Traded this specimen from the George Vaux collection from Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia when Harold Arndt was still curator." - Rock H. Currier You have to be a hard-core mineral collector, or completely color-blind, to really appreciate Hauerites. Thank God they show sharply defined geometric form and that they tend to be 'floaters.' It doesn't hurt that they are rare as hell and if it wasn't for the few that keep popping up in U.S. oil/gas wells and salt mines, the number of world localities would shrink by about half. Nobody deliberately mines these, so production is scattershot and infrequent. The Vaux versions seen here are at the upper end of the size range for these things and the Destricella Mine isn't cranking out any more; a pity since this was the source for most of the world's big ones. For all of you that failed geometry, this is a chance to redeem yourself. All kidding aside, this is a 'smoker' for the species. Comes with custom acrylic base and the original Vaux label. Overall Measurements: 1.6 x 1.4 x 1.4 inches (4.0 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm) Offered at no reserve Provenance: Ex. Bryn Mawr College, Ex. George Vaux Collections [RHC #1879, acquired 1972] MinID 3DP-EE9 & D1M-R42 [Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]
HID09710052018
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Hauerite Destricella Mine, Raddusa, Catania Province, Sicily, Italy "A sharp brown black floater octahedron measuring about 1.25 inches on an edge. Traded this specimen from the George Vaux collection from Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia when Harold Arndt was still curator." - Rock H. Currier You have to be a hard-core mineral collector, or completely color-blind, to really appreciate Hauerites. Thank God they show sharply defined geometric form and that they tend to be 'floaters.' It doesn't hurt that they are rare as hell and if it wasn't for the few that keep popping up in U.S. oil/gas wells and salt mines, the number of world localities would shrink by about half. Nobody deliberately mines these, so production is scattershot and infrequent. The Vaux versions seen here are at the upper end of the size range for these things and the Destricella Mine isn't cranking out any more; a pity since this was the source for most of the world's big ones. For all of you that failed geometry, this is a chance to redeem yourself. All kidding aside, this is a 'smoker' for the species. Comes with custom acrylic base and the original Vaux label. Overall Measurements: 1.6 x 1.4 x 1.4 inches (4.0 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm) Offered at no reserve Provenance: Ex. Bryn Mawr College, Ex. George Vaux Collections [RHC #1879, acquired 1972] MinID 3DP-EE9 & D1M-R42 [Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]
HID09710052018
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
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Time, Location
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