Sphalerite (Rubyjack) historic specimen.
stock #AX-35-207
Quapaw tribal area, Ottawa County
Oklahoma,
United States
7.8 x 3.7 x 2.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $380
new year 2021
A very unusual looking specimen of Sphalerite with some bright red and darker crystals perched on a thin shard of Chert matrix. Ex Wallace Gould Levison collection, he obtained this piece in 1909 from the "northeast corner of the Quaparo Indian Territory, A zinc mine there" his notes give the source as George R. Osborn who was located in Kansas City, MO. This area we know today as the Quapaw territory of Ottawa County, Oklahoma. Mining had begun on the Indian territories in 1908 so this is a very early specimen. The area became a very important Lead Zinc supplier though the Indians were not compensated as agreed. Mining ended in 1950 but for a while this was the world's largest Pb Zn source. The specimen has well-formed crystals with the largest 2.3 CM. Smaller crystals are translucent to transparent and this is quite esthetic in person. We include a photocopy of Levison's original collection ledger page with this specimen. A very nice quality Tri-state classic specimen with unusual early provenance from an important US collection.
