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Lot 2314

Stibnite

7 December 2021, 10:00 PST
Los Angeles

Sold for US$3,825 inc. premium

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Stibnite

Xikuangshan Mine, Hunan, China
Stibnite, an antimony tri-sulfide has been used by humans for millennia—it has found use in products as diverse as kohl used as eyeliner by ancient Egyptians and fireworks made by the Chinese. China, long a producer of stibnite, has remained the most sought-after locality for high-quality specimens of this mineral. Several antimony mines in the south-central part of the country have produced stibnite since prehistoric times—those localities there are still renown for their specimens of great brilliance, luster, size and perfection of crystals. In their search for antimony ore, miners frequently destroyed the specimens—others were ruined during the retrieval process due to lack of proper tools or inexperience. Still, as miners know that specimens are highly regarded by mineral collectors, they attempt to remove complete specimens such as this one. The present specimen is a classic, three-dimensional, radiating spray of gunmetal-grey stibnite crystals with good metallic luster. Measuring 5.5 x 2.8 x 2 in (14 x 7 x 5 cm)

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Accompanied by a custom-fitted base.

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