Kunzite on Montmorillonite matrix Hiriart Mt (Katerina Mine) Pala San Diego County California USA
Locality: Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Pala District, San Diego County, California, USA (Locality at mindat.org)
Size: miniature, 5 x 4.7 x 3 cm
Kunzite in Matrix
According to Rob Lavinsky of the Arkenstone/Irocks.com about this piece: "This remarkable matrix GEM crystal has incredibly good form and terminations for a San Diego kunzite. It has rich Pala-quality color down the c-axis. Hiriart Hill is around the corner from the actual Pala Chief Mine but is more or less the same area and this locality was also an important producer of gem-grade cutting material in the early years of the 1900s when specimen and gem mining in San Diego provided much of the world's supply of the new species kunzite. Matrix specimens are almost unheard of and I was shocked to see this one, which he obtained from the collection of Chuck Houser in San Diego. Not only is it significant for the locality, but it meets every possible criteria you'd hold a Brazilian or Afghani kunzite specimen to...so then add on the value for locality and its a real killer! I dare to speculate that it might be one of the best matrix American kunzites for the miniature size range? 5 x 4.7 x 3 cm". It comes with a custom fitted acrylic base. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MATRIX IS STABILIZED.
I bought this from Arkenstone in 2011-2012 for my personal San Diego County Collection. I have also been able to determine that this was from the early 1990s finds at the Katerina Mine.