Natural period pieces
The Beverly Hills gallery I.M. Chait auctioned off fossils, minerals and gems last week to the tune of $1 million -- a jump of nearly 70% over Chait’s first natural history sale in 2002, according to operations director Josh Chait. The rapid growth is fueled only partially by collectors hoping for a good investment. “It’s also the aesthetic,” Chait says, adding that bidders see unusual beauty in the ancient and the natural. Bonhams & Butterfields (www.bonhams.com) holds its natural history auction Sunday. A sample of those 450-plus lots:
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