A complete and undamaged crystal of Corundum that has sharp form for this location. The color is mostly red with some blue to purple areas, and a little adhearing mica adds some sparkle. Not good gem grade but there are areas of translucency, the crystal form is quite good however. With magnification the internal hexagonal structures are also seen indicating this could perhaps cut a star cabochon. Comes with a Shortmann label vintage 1960, this is a quite old piece.
A sizable matrix plate is the host for 5 main octahedra of pale pink Fluorite. A few smaller crystals are also included. The crystals reach 1.8 CM and are sharp, undamaged and distinct. From a brief period of productivity in Chumar Bakhoor, there has not been new finds for the past 2-3 years. Good pink Fluorite is uncommon and sought after. With few exceptions the best pinks have all come from Alpine clefts which by their nature are small and hard to find. This is such an Alpine piece, the color is not the most treasured deep pink, but it is still quite good and very well composed. Priced very well for the quality, rarity and size.
A large and nicely textured chunk of Native Arsenic is loaded with vugs and zones of sparkling small crystals of brilliant red Proustite. From the famous old location of Schlema, this would be a very good specimen of Arsenic all on its own. The addition of bright Proustite makes it quite special. Many of the Proustites have damage as seen on magnification but some of the crystals are pristine and complete. They have not lost the Ruby Silver color so this makes a nice contrast
A very esthetic example of this unusual quartz type from Shangbao. The Quartz is the desireable blue to greenish hue with the terminations going whitish a bit like Seriphos Quartz. This style is noticably different, some of the crystals show fibrous artichoke bulges and pile up like jackstraws. The typical pyrite crystals arealso present.Usually Quartz of this kind has a lot of damage, this piece has only a little and not easily noticed from most display angles. A good example of this unique and important quartz variety.
A fantastic, lusterous and large Cassiterite cluster on matrix from the important Xuebaoding location. Most Cassiterite from here is highly twinned showing few recognizable faces and is typically opaque. This piece has some translucency and exceptionally large sharp crystal faces of discrete prismatic crystals. As a bonus, there is a cluster of sizable albite crystals which adds a nice accent. The Cassiterite prisms show twin reentry planes and have the highest possible luster for a Cassiterite. Esthetic and displayable from several angles with minimal damage and contacting that is not distracting. Prices for fine Xuebaoding Cassiterites are very high even in Cina and climbing fast as they are no longer being produced. Many consider these the worlds best . This fine specimen is well below the typical price point for this quality level and a very good value.
Another classic Bisbee association, in an unusually fine specimen this is almost all native Copper in crude crystals. The Copper is a psuedomorph after Cuprite, with some unaltered zones and small Cuprite octahedrons that still have red color. Fibrous crystallized Malachite sprays add a rich green color. Magnification reveals some Calcite that is green colored due to the Copper. The definition of this piece is excellent, it is quite old it was sold by Schortmanns in the 60's and comes with that old label.
