LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2008 January Signature Natural History #5000  / 

48249

Red Cloud Wulfenite

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Rocks, Fossils & Minerals Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,500.00 - 7,500.00 USD
Red Cloud Wulfenite
<B>RED CLOUD WULFENITE</B></I><BR><BR> <I>Red Cloud Mine, Silver District, Trigo Mountains, LaPaz County, Arizona</B></I><BR>Starting in the 1870's, miners searching for the next silver lode in this remote area of the lower Sonoran Desert began picking away at a deposit that promised dependable although modest returns. In the course of their quest for underground riches they frequently ran across red-orange blades of wulfenite: the molybdate of lead. Being a lead ore it went to the mill along with everything else that looked promising. In 1938, legendary mineral collector and dealer Ed Over paid a visit to the mine. While there he extracted the contents of a cavity in the mine (no one is sure just where) and proceeded to make a reasonably good profit off of the enterprise. Specimens from this find are represented in a number of major museums: Harvard for one. When the ore ran out, the miners left and intrepid collectors started to brave the local climate (120+ degrees in the shade) for a chance to repeat Over's success. Some were reasonably successful as this fiery orange example proves. Most were not. Not as large as the specimens in Over's collection, this matrix specimen is still an excellent representative of the type. It features one major and four minor crystals on a typical piece of Red Cloud host rock. The largest crystal is ¾ of x 5/8 of an inch. There are some 'contact' surfaces on the back of the main crystal but these are hidden on the opposite side from the viewer. There is a few nicks to some minor crystals but again, they are on the back side from the best viewing angle. The wulfenite has excellent luster and outstanding color with no brown overtones. The specimen measures 2 ½ x 2 ½ x 1 ¼ inches deep.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Requires 3rd Party Shipping (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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