An oddity that is also attractive, this Yaogangxian piece is unique in my experience. A jumbled cluster of quartz crystals some doubly terminated and up to 7.9 CM long are encrusted with several secondary minerals including muscovite, goethite, pyrite, calcite dolomite and arsenopyrite. The most important coating however is on several crystals covered with sparkling purple Fluorites. There are some broken quartz mostly on the area I see as the base, but it displays well as a very different, colorful and complex piece. Yaoganxian has provided many surprises, this is one.
Sphalerite on Quartz
stock #7 CNA-492
Shuikoushan Lead Zinc Mine, Kangjianwan, Changning
Hunan,
China
13 x 10.6 (cabinet)
price: $500
Deep red complex crystals of Sphalerite sit on a plate of sparkling reddish quartz. Some are claiming the quartz is red due to inclusions of Sphalerite, I am not sure about that. There is galena here too and the back of the piece is crystalized calcite. The largest crystal is 3.3 cm and with good backlight it glows a rich red. No damage and great luster, this looks like globs of jelly on matrix. Way above average!!
Fluorite
stock #7CNA -457
Xinghauling mine, Linwu
Hunan,
China
13 x 11 CM (cabinet)
price: $375
The large Octahedron here is over 7 CM, undamaged, lustrous and esthetically perched with others on a contrasting matrix . The crystalas all show the "micro stepping" being composed of hundreds of tiny fluorite crystals that are arranged together in the octahedra. A deep green that can backlight well, this piece is a very fine example of an older style of fluorite from Xinghauling not often available anymore.
Barite
stock #7CNA-599
Muli Mine, Mianyan,Ebian
Sichuan,
China
13.5x9.5 CM (cabinet)
price: $350
A mound of lusterous barites (most of which are gemmy with phantoms) with a single, larger 3.5 CM crystal at the top. This mine has not produced anything but very tiny crystals for the past 3 years and the larger crystals when in good condition (which is rare) are now very hard to find. The architecture of this piece is very attractive and the damage is minimal, most is on the periphery and the rest is not at all distracting, the main crystals are fine.
Rhodochrosite with quartz
stock #8.1-042
Wuzhou Prefecture, Guanxi Province
Guanxi,
China
6.6x6.5 CM (cabinet)
price: $1900
A very fine Chinese rhodo, from the 2007 pocket at Wuzhou, these were the best found at that time, and a different style than those found in later mining. The color and clarity are easily confused with some Sweet Home material. Deep color and esthetics with the largest Rhomb 2.2 CM. Typical of this mine there are micro xls of fluorite and acanthite as well as eye visible pyrites, but the real reason to display this is the Rhodochrosite. Overall in fine shape, no noticable damage, we have noticed that the red color is more intense under some types of lighting. This is a fraction of the price that a comparable Colorado piece would go for!
