Orpiment with Calcite
Jiepaiyu Mine, Shimen deposit,
Shimen Co., Changde, Hunan, China
14x4cm x 9.7 cm wide
Collector quality orpiment is found at three locations: Peru, Nevada, and China. Each of them very different, yet without hesitation, the Chinese pieces are exemplary. The first samples from China to reach the collector market began in the late 1980s. More were mined between the years 2000 and 2006. Since then, very few have been available. Less than six pieces achieved the perfection and balance of this specimen.
This example is a dramatic cabinet specimen featuring a dense cluster of gemmy amber-orange orpiment crystals richly intergrown with translucent white calcite crystals. The specimen displays exceptional luster, sharp crystal development, and vivid color contrast, creating a highly sculptural display piece.
The whitish calcite crystals appear blocky to prismatic, with excellent clarity and sharp crystal faces.
They form the upper portion and matrix of the specimen. The orpiment crystals are richly colored, ranging from honey-gold to deep reddish-orange. They exhibit a brilliant vitreous (glassy) luster and form numerous sharply terminated crystals clustered throughout the lower and central portions. The contrast between the icy white crystals and the fiery orange crystals creates a striking, almost "flame-and-ice" appearance.