A very well-crystallized classic specimen from the ancient mining district of Pribram. The silver-rich Tetrahedrites had been called Freibergite but this is now a discredited specie name but exists as a subgroup tin the Tetrahedrite family. This is a superb piece with well-defined crystals on sizable Siderite crystals. The cluster of Freibergite/Tetrahedrite crystals is 3.2 CM across and is overall in good condition though there are some bruises to mention. despite that this is still a killer for the locality and specie. Silver was chased in this zone going back for centuries, later lead and finally Uranium were sought. Silver species are quite prized and well-crystalized specimens are now rare from this famed mine.
Fluorite and Quartz - classic locale
stock #13.1-051
Oberwolfach, Ortenaukreis, Freibourg region, Black Forest
Baden-Wurttemberg,
Germany
6.4 x 4.7 x 3.8 CM (cabinet)
price: $440
Fall 22
Cubic Fluorite cluster on a rounded matrix of reddish color Quartz from the Wolfach area (Germany). The largest Fluorite is very lightly tinged a pinkish-purple, the smaller cubes are nearly colorless. This region has been a mining center for well over 100 years and some zones are still producing. This specimen is in good condition overall, there are some rough edge spots but it is unusually intact, well-formed and attractive in composition. The large crystal is 3.3 CM diagonal, quite large for a violet Fluorite from this region.
Siderite with Pyrite -classic German locale
stock #13.1-114
Himmelsfurst Mine, Brand Erbisdorf, Freiberg district, Erzgebirge
Saxony,
Germany
7.7 x 5.2 x 5 CM (cabinet)
price: $90
Fall 22
A three dimensional specimen with several fingers and crevices coated with small Siderite crystals which are in turn coated with small Pyrite crystals. From the famed and ancient Freiburg mining district, a very good representative Gangue specimen.
Scorodite - classic British locality
stock #21.1-504
Hemerdon Mine, Plympton, Plymouth
Devon,
England
7.3 x 5.6 x 4.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $420
Fall 22
Very fine gemmy Scorodite crystals in several vugs on a blocky Quartz matrix makes for an attractive cabinet display piece. From the Hemerdon Mine (Devon, England) this locality has produced some of the best Scorodite in Europe. This is a particularly rich piece. The area has a long history with intermittent mining operation since before 1854 but currently inactive. In very good condition the crystals were well-protected in the cavities of the matrix. Most of the Scorodites are a deep blue but a few do show a green color as well.
Epidote - large single crystal
stock #22.1-479
Karoi District
Mashonaland West,
Zimbabwe
6.2 x 4.9 x 3.8 CM (cabinet)
price: $480
Fall 22
Dark green and quite lustrous, a single doubly terminated crystal of Epidote from Zimbabwe. Complete and with a sparkling druse of Quartz crystals, this is a nice Epidote from anyplace and incredibly good for this locale. An older specimen this is the best example we know of from Zimbabwe. The backside has some bruises on an edge but the front and sides are undamaged and attractive. A small amount of translucence is seen on a few edges but overall this is mostly opaque. From the Karoi which is known for Euclase and other species but Epidote is not noted in modern literature. Ex Immer Cook collection obtained from Schortmanns Minerals in the early 1960s. They offered a selection of Karoi Epidotes back then but their source was never known.
Axinite - classic British, vintage
stock #AX-10-557
Bottallack Cliff, Bottalack, St. Just
Cornwall,
England
7.8 x 5.4 x 4.6 CM (cabinet)
price: $500
Fall 22
A fine, old and quite large Axinite from Cornwall, ex. Hugh Ford and Ara Dildilian. The blocky matrix is richly covered with quite lustrous and gemmy Axinite crystals to about 1 CM in size. While there are some bruised crystals on the specimen there are also many complete and fine as well. The vintage is likely more than 75 years old as that was the era when Dildalian was acquiring minerals from Ford. Hugh Fords US Mineral business spanned 1945 to 1957 though he was a collector in England since 1916.
Diopside with minor Calcite
stock #22.1-450
Miller Property, Sebastopol, Renfrew County
Ontario,
Canada
5.4 x 2.9 x 2.7 CM (cabinet)
price: $320
Fall 22
A super well-formed Diopside ex. John Rodger Mitchell collection. From the prolific and incredible Skarn deposits of the Renfrew area in Ontario, this is an exceptionally choice specimen with a deep oil-green color and wet luster. A smaller side crystal is also well terminated but is contacted and incomplete on the bottom end. Overall this is in very good condition as seen, far better than any other examples we have come across. A pretty Pyroxene example that is on textbook form and not a typical Grenville grundge type piece, this is display worthy!
Quartz "interference" crystal
stock #22.1-137
Dalnegorsk, Kavalerovo Mining District
Primorsky Kray,
Russia
9.3 x 2.7 x 2.6 CM (cabinet)
price: $440
Fall 22
A perfect example of so called interference Quartz. For any Quartz suite this is a fine, exotic and strange form. From Dalnegorsk a few years ago this came from a small find and this was one of the largest crystals and one of the very few that were complete and undamaged. It seems that in this location at least as the Quartz grew it had a series of thin Calcite blades on each side. The Calcite has since dissolved away but had an impact on the crystal development. The result is a remarkable stepped form in an inclined series of ridges. Unusual and certainly esthetic in a strange way!
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