2050

Nevada High Grade Ore Collection, Herz Brothers Jewelry c1890 [173216]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Rocks, Fossils & Minerals Start Price:1,500.00 USD Estimated At:3,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Nevada High Grade Ore Collection, Herz Brothers Jewelry c1890    [173216]

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More than 50 specimens in an original 12 x 17" felt lined wood box kept by jewelry RH Herz of Reno c1870s-1900. this is a wide variety of ore specimens and a few minerals collected by Herz and possibly his brother during this time period. Family notes following this para discuss that Herz routinely took in specimens to pay for watch repair/ Since herz began his business with MM Frederick of VC, the famed west coast jeweler it makes sense that Herz had an affinity for high grade ore. The following is an attempt to group and describe these only a few which have specific location information though advanced geologists may recognize certain specific locations because of the nature of the specimen. Specimens showing native gold: there are 6 specimens displaying native gold plus a smile vile. Only 1 is identified from Rhyolite probably the Montgomery Shoshone. They are about 1 x 2" three of them are choice. 1 small turquoise specimen; 3 quartz with euhedral pyrite; 5 pyrite with crystal and quartz and grey sulfides no location but probaby not comstock; a nice malachite about 2 x 2 x 2" ; specimen of high grade silver subjected to heat probably not comstock; 3 specimens galena and quartz; 3 specimens quartz with silver sulfides one with label from the comstock; 2 specimens stillbite pyrite galena probably from eureka district; 1 specimen possibly credite with pyrite; 4 specimens - pyrite quartz grey sulfides possibly comstock; 2 specimens copper slag; 3 crystalline quartz; 13 misc specimens including pyrite, argentite? amethyst, smoky quartz, wolfenite, sand stone, mica, dendritic shale, 2 original herz brothers boxes with small specimens inside including native silver. 4 other small boxes that include gemstones and arrowheads including topaz, amethyst, native gold. 1 unused watch face also included. The box is locking, but the top needs some TLC.

Carl Otto Herz had emigrated to Virginia City, Nevada in 1884 to work with his brother, Richard Herz, as a jeweler at M. M. Fredericks. In 1885, Richard Herz and brother Carl purchased the Reno jewelry operation of William Goegle – thus establishing the jewelry business that became R. Herz & Bro. in downtown Reno. The store was a Reno business fixture for more than a century.

During the early years and well into the 1930’s, Carl Otto Herz found that many of his customers were miners who frequently offered to exchange a high grade ore sample for a watch repair. Slowly, C.O. Herz began to form a small, but high quality collection of ore samples. The collection was kept in a wooden silverware storage box that he had repurposed for the samples. C.O. Herz was an active hunter and outdoorsman and would frequently visit some of the more remote mining towns of Nevada.
Nevada