Native Gold

For sure a collector’s favourite, a wonderful arborescent Native Gold, partly etched out from its creamy Calcite matrix and obviously from the classic Hope’s Nose locality on the south coast of Devon.  Originally discovered on a field trip from Kings College (London) in 1922, the occurrence was forgotten about until mineral collectors rediscovered the site in the late 1970s.  Hosted in Devonian limestones, the mineralised veins have been found to contain many rare minerals, including one new species, the most famous and collectable being Native Gold.  Collecting is now totally illegal and strictly banded at Hope’s Nose, a coastal outcrop at the eastern extremity of Torquay, a popular and beautiful holiday town.  This wonderful specimen is richly invested with aesthetic, buttery-golden fronds of dendritic and arborescent Native Gold, the wires of which extend back into the creamy etched Calcite matrix.  Good specimens of Hope’s Nose Gold are increasingly difficult to obtain due to high demand and relatively scarce supply, whose source is now limited to specimens in existing collections.  This specimen has been mounted vertically on a small colourless acrylic base.  Simply beautiful.