"The Fisherman" Silver curl on Calcite

Here is a mineral masterpiece, displaying a wonderful natural curl of precious metal! Around 2014, a major native silver 'bonanza' was discovered in Hongda mine, subsequently providing the mineral collection's world with what had been the best available specimens for this highly sought after metal for decades: sculptural silver wires, loose or on gangue and combined with calcite and acanthite, which unmistakably demonstrated a natural origin. The frequency of internationally significant noble metal discoveries might be less than one in a generation of collectors and since silver bonanzas usually have a limited size, few really good specimens were recovered, which explains why Hongda silvers are not commonly seen on the market today. This absolutely stunning specimen features a perfect large silver curl (5.0 x 2.4 cm) beautifully emerging from a carpet of intermingled smaller wires, on a well-crystallized calcite gangue. The curl is reminiscent of a fisherman holding a rod, hence the nickame of this specimen.