Stibnite specimen at AMNH

As I mentioned on another thread, I visited the American Museum of Natural History yesterday. I've seen the wonderful specimens a number of times over the years but I don't mind seeing them again and again. But it wasn't until I left the mineral hall and walked into a large area that long time ago used to house a souvenir counter that I noticed a rather spectacular new specimen alone in a big display case. It was a beautiful stibnite with hundreds of silvery lustrous crystals. The label said that it weighs a half ton. I did an Internet search and sure enough found it. The link is: [www.amnh.org] .

It is really impressive that it was removed from the mine intact - both because of its sheer size and fragility and because that's not something one miner can do on his own; the mine ownership or a large group of miners must have recognized the value of the specimen and helped remove it.

Wooooow!! I want one in my garden!

A truly magnificent treasure and all who saved it, from the miners through to the curators are to be heartily congratulated!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2009 04:48AM by Rob Woodside.

Jim and I were able to spend some time visiting that display as well and were pretty much amazed at the stibnite. It is a beautiful piece to behold.

Gail Patricia Copus Spann

These stibnite specimens were found perhaps three years ago and filled several rooms and were property of the mining company who was offering them for sale. I visited the mine shortly after the sale and asked the mine manager if any more specimens were available, but sadly the only stibnite available or in sight was a pile of perhaps a ton or two of massive material that had been tipped out of a skip on a concrete floor for hand sorting before being sent to the mill. I asked him when they had first found stibnite at the deposit and he told me several years ago (this was through a translator of course). He said that they and also been found in a big pocket, but the crystals were about the same length, but that they were thicker. I asked what happened to those crystals and he told me that at the time they did not know that specimens had value so they ran them all through the crusher. When the pocket was encountered from which this specimen was taken the management knew that specimens had value and also there were enough miners/collectors who knew how to collect specimens available so that they were collected with minimum damage. They were offered for sale as a lot and were bought by Danny Detrin and his partner. After they were paid, packed in crates and put into a container it turned out that although the mining company had legal permits to mine them, they did not have permits to export them, so additional time and money had to be forthcoming to facilitate this. I was told they were shipped to Europe and little by little, these specimens have been sold and have been appearing in the collections of wealthy collectors and some of them, as this one have been given or loaned to museums for display. One of the best was sold to Frau Dr. Pohl and I think is now on display in Freiberg along with many other fine specimens from her collection.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Mandy and I were at the AMNH recently and we took a bunch of photos. Here's one of Mandy next to this incredible stibnite specimen....

[www.mindat.org]

We'll get the remainder of the pictures posted soon as well. There were a bunch of specimens that I am excited to share pictures of - some killer cumengeites, a mind-blowing hessite, Pulsifer apatite, phosphophyllite, legrandite, stolzite, liroconite, and many more!

Anyway, this stibnite was really something to see in person. Since you are essentially at eye level with the specimen, and it is just inches away from the glass, you can really get up close to it and it feels like you are right IN the specimen! It was like being surrounded by tall metallic grass! It was visible from three sides as well so you could see it from several perspectives which was great also.

May I add that Mandy is looking very nice herself?

Gail Patricia Copus Spann

Awwww....

You are too sweet...


And here are some more "close up" pics of this monster specimen....

[www.mindat.org]


(they are posted as "child" images)

Here is a picture of the Erika Pohl stibnite I took 3 weeks ago at Terra Mineralia in Freiberg. This one amazed me (maybe startled is a better word) the most of all the stunning specimens in the displays. It must be about 3 feet wide.

WOW!! those Stibnites are the most gobsmacking, fantastical and huge specimens I've ever seen!!!
Thanks so much for sharing them
Amazing they were not damaged......

cheers, Colleen

I must say - the Erika Pohl stibnite looks like a much nicer specimen than the AMNH specimen that I saw because the crystals are longer and more pronounced in comparison to the matrix. Both beautiful specimens though. Which do you prefer?

I too find the Pohl specimen a bit more spectacular than the also spectacular AMNH specimen. I wouldn't reject either, but alas I can barely afford a single nice blade..

I like the AMNH one a lot more. I find a lack of matrix disturbing and unnatural. The matrix gives more of an idea for how this stuff formed.

Kyle

I guess I can't be as much of a purist, Kyle, because I like them both , but am really stunned to think about Rock's comments regards what might have been available, if only for lack of enlightened management
and this applies to so many other mine site mineral occurrences, that it is frustrating to think about WHAT WE HAVE MISSED OUT ON , OVER THE YEARS, Aiyee, the pain of it....but wait a minute, naaah, I could never have afforded them anway...

Unless of course you managed to stumble onto the mine just as they hit their first big pocket and didn't know they had any value but ore. I would have been happy to have paid them twice the value of the antimony if they let me collect and keep the ones I wanted.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.