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Aside from a relatively few specimens, from just a few small finds 20 years ago and more in Mexico and at Tsumeb in Namibia, the collector of beautiful rarities is limited to generally "reference-level" scorodites. Few people not specifically dedicated to owning such a rarity could justify paying the price to do so, given the prices that demand has set upon any beautifully crystallized examples of this species. Enter China, the destroyer of scorodite rarity! For the time being, for as long as this deposit holds out, there is more scorodite on the market than the sum total of all previous finds. It is not cheap but it is less expensive than any other scorodite I can think of on the market, in such quality. Interestingly, it was initially priced as gemmy azurite, the first few days after being found in China. This find makes scorodite, one of thos ultimate colorful rarities to own, more affordable than in the past - thus making a good scorodite affordable for many people for the first time. There is some uncertainty in the market about the locality information here, with the Pingtouling Mine given quite often as another source. However, the material that came from Pingtouling about 6 years ago was of far inferior quality. This is in fact a new location, near Hezhou in this non-provincial "Autonomous Region". More information, and hopefully more specimens (at higher prices now that word is out and dealers are flocking to the region), should come shortly. In the meantime, as so often with China, I recommend buying early because the best of Chinese new finds usually comes from the surface zones hit early on in a new prospect (as they once did in many American locales, now long defunct).
SCORO-01 - Scorodite - $ 1850 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 4.0 x 2.9 x 2.2 cm
Sharp lustrous scorodite xls to 1 cm, sprinkled liberally with starkly contrasting golden pyrites. Many crystals are blue, and some others are darker, with an almost purpley sheen to them. This is one of the rare, elegant miiatures I call a "daisy-chain" for the intergrown stacking growth. Complete all around, 360!
SCORO-02 - Scorodite - $ 1500 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 4.8 x 4.6 x 2.5 cm
Lustrous, deep blue scorodite crowning a plate of pyrite-coated massive scorodite (with minute crystals on the back as well), with a doubly-terminated crystal reaching 1 cm in size. Very aesthetic and colorful!
SCORO-03 - Scorodite - $ 37500 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China cabinet, 10.5 x 9.0 x 5.2 cm
One of the largest fine specimens from the several lots I have received over the last month from different sources, this piece GLOWS with color. It is a cabinet specimen of almost solid scorodite, with vugs and crystal-lined crevasses throughout. It has a mix of stunning, gemmy, blue scorodite to 1 cm and larger crystals to 1.5 cm which are less blue and more purpley, with a thin coating or alteration layer that gives them this shimmering hue. Overall, though, it is mostly blue, and there are dozens of good crystals here. Many reach 1 cm, or larger in teh case of the crowning stalactitic crystals atop. A small bit of pyrite provides accent. This specimen, for size, color, and crystal quality, is surely one of the best - at least, so far as I know and i've tried to stay on top of these. I saw similar sized specimens at the Dallas show with a friend who got a lot independently, of several cabinet pieces....these other large specimens were priced at $25,000-$50,000 and were just bigger, but not better, than this dramatic piece. I have not seen others of the size and quality outside of these 2 lots.
SCORO-04 - Scorodite - $ 1250 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 1.9 x 1.5 x 1.3 cm
An oustanding thumbnail crystal with sharp 3-dimensional crystallography, 1.5 cm on long edges and 1.8 cm across the diagonal o nthe main crystal. This is shocking for the species. It is not gemmy blue, but rather has an odd purpley sheen to the surface.
SCORO-05 - Scorodite - $ 950 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 1.6 x 1.1 x 0.9 cm
A perfect floater, complete all around, with deep blue color showing when backlit. Few of the crystals reach this symmetric perfection in this size and the form is completely distinct from that of Tsumeb. Front and back are shown.
SCORO-06 - Scorodite - $ 150 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 1.9 x 1.8 x 1.7 cm
A sharp cluster with two intergrown crystals to 1.2 cm on edge,and the form is completely distinct from that of Tsumeb.
SCORO-07 - Scorodite - $ 750 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 2.6 x 2.1 x 2.0 cm
A large thumbnail featuring a whopping 2.2 cm crystal , doubly-terminated, perched right in the middle!!!! This is a shockingly large and complete crystal with super lustre. It has the weird purpley surface sheen so many of these do. Atop it is a secondary crystal, complete but with a small contact in its face and so this mars the overall specimen a little bit, but its still quite significant - you don't see 1 inch scoro's too often!
SCORO-08 - Scorodite - $ 675 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 2.2 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm
A superb 1.5 cm crystal with good blue translucency, and accented by contrasting pyrite crystals upon it, perched atop a smaller scorodite as a natural pedestal! Elegant, aesthetic, and of robust and interesting form. Complete all around.
SCORO-09 - Scorodite - $ 750 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 2.1 x 1.2 x 1.2 cm
A sharp, doubly-terminated, 1.5-cm crystal perched in a floating cluster of smaller crystals. One of the most elegant and beautiful thumbs I have sene in the lot. Shimmering blue when backlit.
SCORO-10 - Scorodite - $ 675 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China thumbnail, 2.0 x 1.6 x 0.9 cm
Probably with the deepest blue crystal i can see in my material, this specimen features a riveting 9mm crystal on matrix!
SCORO-11 - Scorodite - $ 3400 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 3.7 x 3.1 x 2.7 cm
This kille rminiature features razor sharp, lustrous crystals to just over 1 cm beautifully set upon a miniature-sized matrix of pyrite. The crystals have a slight purpley sheen to the surface, not the blue color one classically associates with the species but a superb aesthetic piece, nonetheless, and all the more markedly different from previous finds of the species.
SCORO-12 - Scorodite - $ 1250 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 5.3 x 3.4 x 2.0 cm
Sharp blue scorodite crystals to 9mm, unusually included by pyrite in this case. Beautiful plate with sharp crystals, and rich for the price
SCORO-13 - Scorodite - $ 2200 Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 5.3 x 4.1 x 3.7 cm
A strange specimen with sharp, elongated crystals to 1.6 cm on well-crystallized pyrite - in other words more balanced with crystallized pyrite than massive pyrite or sprinkles of it upon massive scorodite, as with other specimens here. Beautiful contrast! The larg crystals have a distinct blue color with oddly amber tips (I cannot even guess why!)
SCORO-14 - Scorodite - $ 3500 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 3.9 x 2.4 x 1.7 cm
One of my favorites for, i think, obvious aesthetic reasons! This is a gemmmy, translucent blue daisy-chain of intergrown sharp scorodite crystals, a floater complete all around!
SCORO-15 - Scorodite - $ 1950 SOLD Hezhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China miniature, 5.6 x 4.5 x 2.5 cm
Sharp, razor-sharp, deep blue crystals of scorodite perched on a thin plate of pyrite and scorodite matrix. The piece sparkles like glass and probably has the best lustre of the lot. This is a mix of purple and blue crystals.
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