FS03 Scheelite
Huya Village, Mt. Xuebaoding, Ping Wu Co., Suchuan Prov., China
7.8x 5.2x 4.1 cm
$680
The Mt. Xuebaudong locality has undoubtedly produced the world’s best scheelite (and kesterite, and some pretty decent aquamarine and apatite). The locality was most productive in the early 90’s, and while specimens continue to trickle out, these days the quality and quantity are relatively low. Matters are not helped by remoteness of the mine (which unlike many other Chinese mines is not a large-scale ore operation), the fact that it borders a Panda reserve, or the 2008 earthquake.
This is a large cluster of crystals with decent color. The back is paler, so you would probably want to display it vertically as shown in the top right image. I cannot find a point of attachment anywhere on the specimen. There is no damage.
There are a few Chinese minerals that will without a doubt become classics—these scheelites are one of them. I import these direct from Sichuan—for what I am told the good ones are fewer, and the miners are getting more expensive to deal with. When I buy a specimen, I always consider how long it will take to sell—Chinese scheelite has never been a quick seller, but for things like this that appreciate in value, it doesn’t matter