A starburst of glassy Hemimorphite crystals with the extra attraction of being a nice pale blue color. From 2015 finds in Mina Ojuela, this is an especially fine and esthetic specimen. Some of the best Hemimorphite ever found comes from this locale, but very little ever had this most desirable blue color. The individual prisms are up to 1.1 CM long and have a bright glassy luster. Choice and very rarely available in this quality.
Vanadinite- Intense red, modern classic locale
stock #17.1-746
Pure Potential/ N. Geronimo Mine, Silver dist., Trigo Mts, La Paz County
Arizona,
United States
7.1 x 4,9 x 3.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $420
Pre Holiday 2017
The Pure Potential (or North Geronimo) mine has become famed for outstanding Vanadinites, some of the best ever found in the Americas. Top pieces have an intense red color that is distinctive. This piece has that color and crystal sizes are above average for the hexagonal non hoppered type. Well isolated on a contrasting dark matrix the specimen has fine luster and flash. Several of the Vanadinites have some Calcite prisms sprinkled on them best seen with magnification. Nearly perfect only one small zone has some micro damage, the rest of the hundreds of sharp crystals are impressively perfect. The mine closed back to the late 1800s but in the past few decades has been worked for specimens with occasional finds of fine pieces like this. A USA classic and a pretty specimen from anyplace.
Chalcedony
stock #17.1-286
Mamuju area, Sulawesi Barat province
Sulawesi Island,
Indonesia
8.5 x 4.9 x 4 CM (cabinet)
price: $120
Pre Holiday 2017
There is a lot of Manakarra "grape" Chalcedony in the market, but some specimens do stand out. This is complete piece, a floater, undamaged and with fine form. The color ranges from a brilliant wet look purple to a more subdued lilac hue. A dusting of tiny green Quartz adds extra sparkle. Very affordable for this quality, displays well on all sides
Gem blue-green crystals of Indicolite (Elbaite) standing free from contrasting matrix from early finds at Pederneira. Esthetic arrangement, the Tourmalines have complex multi-pointed terminations that may be recrystallized. One smaller crystal is broken and there is what looks like one small repair, but the larger prisms are fine and undamaged. Nearly all of these have many repairs but this smaller one seems a lot more intact than most. The longest crystal is 3.7 CM. Larger specimens of this color and habit are seen in top collections and sell at the very top of the spectrum. This more modest piece has a strong display character and is an excellent value.
Pyrrhotite - partly altered crystals
stock #13.1-086
Santa Eulalia, Aquiles Serdan
Chihuahua,
Mexico
5.4 x 2.9 x 2.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $125
Pre Holiday 2017
A well-formed cluster of Pyrrhotite crystals showing the in process alteration on several faces. The terminations are unaltered and have the typical brassy color. This is a 1960 vintage specimen from Santa Eulalia which at that time produced many Pyrrhotites. These are now rare on the market. In good complete condition although the main crystal shows separations from altering, and would have eventually split apart, so this shows well a mid-stage transition.
Fluorapatite on Quartz and Cookeite
stock #A7-219-(536)
Harvard Quarry, Greenwood, Oxford County
Maine,
United States
7 x 3.1 x 2.8 CM (cabinet)
price: $1450
Pre Holiday 2017
Attractive and with an unusual esthetic, this is a densely packed matrix of lilac color Apatite. An older specimen from the classic Harvard Quarry in Maine, The druzy Quartz matrix hosts hundreds of small but perfect Apatites most being doubly terminated. In perfect condition and showing well the paragenesis of this locale, this was in the collection of the late Larry White. Two older labels give the locality as Mt Apatite (a more famous locale often incorrectly cited) but those labels are not correct, it is confirmed by Dr. Carl Francis and others as absolutely a classic Harvard piece. Choice and very rare in such fine quality.
Malachite -stalactitic form, cross section slab
stock #17.1-699
Katanga, Central Area, Katanga Copper zone
Shaba,
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)
5.6 x 3.6 x .4 CM (cabinet)
price: $280
Pre Holiday 2017
Sections of stalactitic Malachite can be quite esthetic, especially when the form is more complex and with good color banding. This is an excellent example cut from materials collected in the 1990s. This style is now becoming rare with the "cauliflower" form. Complete edge rind all around, and polished on both sides.
Malachite - polished stalactitic section
stock #17.1-700
Katanga, Central Area, Katanga Copper zone
Shaba,
Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)
6.8 x 5 x .4 CM (cabinet)
price: $350
Pre Holiday 2017
Sections of stalactitic Malachite can be quite esthetic, especially when the form is more complex and with good color banding. This is an excellent example cut from materials collected in the 1990s. Far better quality and form than average for this sort of slab. The double eye on this piece is especially striking. Polished on both sides but the "back" as seen was near to top knob of the malachite form and so has much more rind. Complete with great form and contrast.
