Scheelite on Quartz
stock #AX-30-064
Skardu District
Gilgit-Baltistan,
Pakistan
6.4 x 4.4 x 3.5 (cabinet)
price: $720
Pre Holiday 2017
A choice specimen with a single doubly terminated Scheelite nicely perched on contrasting clear Quartz crystals. The Scheelite is quite sharp, gemmy and richly colored. A few small Quartz at the edges are broken but the Scheelite and most Quartz are in perfect condition damage wise. This is from a find in Pakistan over 5 years ago that was briefly big mineral news. The find was small and the specimens have all disappeared. The Scheelte is very well presented- it sits well up on the matrix and has excellent contrast. Even better in person.
An older, quite attractive Pakistani Beryl that is almost has a Heliodor hue but not quite. The two prisms are well-terminated and have an unusual melted look. There is Rutile as well in several spots. Attractive arrangement, no breaks or repairs.
A very fine small miniature with two super sharp gem Elbaites in an esthetic arrangement. From a recent find at Stak Nala, this pocket had an unusual zoning for this mine with a colorless area and a faint line of blue at the top that is captured in some of the photos. Depending on the lighting the colorless area can look slightly violet, the crystals grade to a dark green that is opaque near the bottom but translucent higher up. In fine condition the terminations are perfect even at 10x magnification. While similar to some older Stak Nala pieces this zoning is not like the more typical recent finds. Small but very choice!
Apatite on Albite (Fluorapatite)
stock #15.1-332
Gilgit, Gilgit district
Gilgit-Baltistan,
Pakistan
7.4 x 6.5 x 3.4 CM (cabinet)
price: $590
Winter 2016-17
Perfectly exposed and elegantly perched Apatite crystal 3.6 CM in diameter contrasts with the stepped crystals of Albite. In fine condition and with bright luster the Apatite is a light salmon-pink with yellowish central areas. Transparent (but with internal veils), the crystal is complete and the front and sides are perfect, undamaged. The backside has some minor contact damage that is out of sight in any display angle. Esthetic and distinctive.
Diopside
stock #15.1-310
Gilgit, Gilgit district
Gilgit-Baltistan,
Pakistan
5.1 x .7 x .9 CM (cabinet)
price: $900
Fall 2015
An unusual and fine gem crystal from Pakistan that came out over 20 years ago. Ex Herb Obodda and Chris Amo collection, this is sharp, lustrous and clear dark green. An excellent Diopside from anyplace, and outstanding from Pakistan. In excellent condition damagewise, this needs good lighting to help show well the rich color and transparency, without it is very dark. Our photos use a small amount of backlight to help show the clarity. This has the best luster, color and overall condition of any I have seen from here.
Unusual habit Aquamarine ex. John Marshall Collection. The main crystal is 3.4 CM across the termination face, with an etched cavity in the center that bells out inside the crystal. The there is also a 2.2 CM Hydroxyl-herderite crystal on the back side as a bonus. Good condition and a very nice "oddity" from this prolific region.
Epidote (gemmy, prismatic)
stock #A-17-233
Hachupa (Hashupi). Shigar Valley, Skardu District
Gilgit-Baltistan,
Pakistan
6.4 x .8 x .7 CM (small cabinet/ large miniature)
price: $160
A single sharp complete Epidote crystal that is nicely terminated, clear and glassy. Unlike many of the Pakistani Epidotes which are flattened in cross section, this is a pencil like prism that also shows color zoning from greenish brown to yellow. Very good condition and a nice, simple yet affordable gem crystal.
From the late 1990s vintage finds, a very distinctive, doubly terminated gem crystal perched on a crystal section of Microcline. The 3 CM long Herderite is in perfect condition and shows textbook form. Excellent esthetics and a slight color change from blueish to greenish in different light sources. A far better than average piece, and there has been nothing new on the market for several years.