Description
Forra di Bulla (Puflerloch), Castelrotto,Suisi Alp, Gardena Valley, Bolanzo Province, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
This is an amazing piece which is likely to be ignored by all, but the most advanced collector. From the Forra di Bulla (aka Pufler Loch) area in Italy. This is a cabinet sized (wow!!) specimen of the spherical variety of stilbite known as puflerite. Most stilbite is found in a wheat-sheath or bowtie habit from complex crystal splitting. In 1857, Bukeisen demonstrated that this mineral was indeed a new habit of stilbite and not prehnite or thompsonite as was initially described. Most of these pieces are small, but this shows aggregates of complex spherical crystals covering the entire plate. This area in the alps hosted mineralization in vugs of volcanic rock, so pieces only came out sporadically in the past. The area is now a natural park and collecting is prohibited. This piece is highly provenanced, belonging to Joe Cilen, William Metropolis, and Shortman’s minerals in the past.
Ex Joe Cilen-Shortmann’s-William Metropolis- George Elling
12.20 x 6.20 x 3.00 cm
