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Shepard's Fire" – Premium Specular Hematite & Polished Rhyolite Porphyry
Locality: Shepard Mountain, Iron County, Missouri, USA
Format: Freestanding Slab / One Side Masterfully Polished
Dimensions: 6.75" x 2.75" x 3"
Weight: 2lbs 9.5oz
Up for sale is a breathtaking, highly collectible regional display piece known colloquially as "Shepard's Fire." Sourced from the historic slopes of Shepard Mountain in Iron County, Missouri, this substantial 2 lb 9.5oz specimen represents the absolute peak of St. Francois Mountains lapidary material.
One side has been expertly cut and polished to a flawless, mirror-like finish, completely transforming the rugged volcanic rock into a brilliant display face. The piece is perfectly thick-cut and balanced to stand completely upright on its own, making it a spectacular mantle or shelf display requiring no plastic stands.
Visual & Geological Highlights:
The "Fire": The upper portion showcases a dramatic, highly textured fiery brick-red Rhyolite Porphyry, densely packed with distinct laths of feldspar and quartz phenocrysts.
The "Iron Base": Running sharply along the bottom is a thick, highly metallic vein of glittering steel-gray Specular Hematite (Specularite), shimmering like crushed diamonds under direct light.
The Horizon: Separating the red volcanic matrix from the heavy iron base is a striking, bright yellow-orange limonitic alteration line that makes the entire specimen resemble a volcanic horizon or wildfire landscape.
This is a premier piece for advanced collectors of historic Missouri iron district minerals, high-end lapidary work, or aesthetic volcanic display specimens.
The specimen pictured is the exact piece you will receive. It will be wrapped with heavy-duty padding to protect the mirror-polished face during dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">Shepard Mountain, Pilot Knob, Iron County MO, Ironton Missouri, St. Francois Mountains, Missouri Iron District, Ozark Rockhound, Pre-Cambrian Volcanic, Ancient Caldera, Local Missouri Mineral.
Material Types & Geology:
Specular Hematite, Specularite, Iron Ore, Rhyolite Porphyry, Volcanic Porphyry, Feldspar Phenocrysts, Limonite Alteration, Hydrothermal Vein, Silicified Rhyolite, Banded Iron.
Visual & Lapidary Terms:
Shepard's Fire, Mirror Polish, Flat Lapped, Freestanding Slab, Thick Cut, Self Standing Display, Red and Gray, Metallic Luster, Shimmering Hematite, Fire Pattern, Landscape Stone, Aesthetic Specimen.
Alternate / Typo Searches:
Mo Rocks, Shepard Mtn, Shepards Fire, Polished Hematite, Specular Mining, Missouri Jasper, Collectible Volc
