AZURITE AND MALACHITE FREEFORM - photo 1
AZURITE AND MALACHITE FREEFORM - photo 2
AZURITE AND MALACHITE FREEFORM - photo 3

AZURITE AND MALACHITE FREEFORM

Lot 128
21.10.2025 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 19 050
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1506297
Lot 128 | AZURITE AND MALACHITE FREEFORM
Estimate value
$ 25 000 – 35 000
An important azurite carving from material out of the important and historic collection of the Copper Queen Mine's first general manager, Ben Williams (1852-1925), who built his collection in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a historic time for American mining, and the boom town of Bisbee was almost made the capital of Arizona Territory. The collection of Ben Williams, which he personally collected in most cases, was lost to history on his death. It was wrapped in newspapers from the 1920s and put into storage for over 80 years, until it emerged as a "rock collection for sale" in a local paper by descendants of Williams (in 1998), after it went into storage upon his passing - a remarkable story of local treasure found again! Purchased by well known mineral dealer and collector Bill Larson, who himself loved antique minerals and mining history, much of the collection was preserved for mineral collectors and museums (where many specimens were placed). Some large specimens, however, which were high quality carving rough material the likes of which had not been seen in 100 years, were contracted out to noted stone carver Bud Standley of Phoenix. He has for decades specialized in artistic freeform carvings of Arizona stones, particularly azurite and malachite which can be difficult to work with. Certainly, we know that both Bill Larson (personal communication) , Bud Standley, and Mike Scott believed this to be the finest large example of this material to carve from the Williams material obtained. It was in his miscellaneous private holdings and not part of his various museum exhibitions or loans, when it came out of the estate Such old Bisbee material had simply not been available in nearly 100 years, and is largely extinct on the market, so this was a rare chance to work with the classic, rich old specimens that made the location so famous in the 1890s and early 1900s (and specimens can still be seen today in the national museums in DC, Paris, London from that era, but obviously those will never come to market). This, the largest resulting carving, was kept in the Larson collection until sold to his friend and customer, Michael Scott. Scott was the first president of Apple, and a well known gem, mineral, and stone collector who loved important freeform carvings of historic stones. This was in his personal mineral and gemstone collection until his recent passing in 2025.
82/3 x 6 x 13/4 in. (22.0 x 15.0 x 4.5 cm.)
1.19 kg.
Medium:Malachite
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
07.10.2025 – 21.10.2025
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
×
Save this search query and get timely email alerts! It is simple and very effective.
edward fernel &amp
Create a Search Subscription