I have already said at other times that the 'basaristes' of Morocco had a prominent role in the development of the mineral trade that exists in that country. I acquired this piece in 1984 when Touissit was in its splendor, and I bought it from one of the basaristes in Asni, a town located about 1000 km away from Touissit! The small town of Asni would have had about 7,000 inhabitants at that time, and despite so few people there was already a large group of mineral vendors who, in their precarious 'basars', offered pieces from remote locations, sometimes as good as this one. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I would have a hard time believing it.
Touissit mining area, Touissit District, Jerada Province, Oriental Region Morocco (±1984)
Specimen size: 4.6 × 3.5 × 2.7 cm = 1.81” × 1.38” × 1.06”
Main crystal size: 2.7 × 2.1 cm = 1.06” × 0.83”
Price:
€390 / US$417 / ¥55360 / AUD$620 |