Grossular on Diopside and Calcite
stock #AX-20-156
Eden Mills Quarries, Lowell & Eden
Vermont,
United States
6.7 x 6 x 3.7 CM (cabinet)
price: $1100
Post Tucson 2015
A very special and undamaged Grossular with bright luster and red brown color nicely perched on a complex crystallized matrix. An American classic locale, the so called "Eden Mills" area is usually the Lowell Quarry or the "C" pit, both of Lamoille County, Vermont. The locations are long closed and good specimens are rare. This one is fine and unusual as the matrix has 3 habits of clear calcite crystals nestled in etched Diopside crystals. This particular assemblage is quite uncommon. Several smaller Grossular are present with the largest 1.8 CM across. Good Lowell area specimens are highly sought after and treasured. Few are available and even average specimens are now rather expensive, really good ones are very rare and commensurately priced.
Vesuvianite
stock #17.1-516
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos (now Val-des-Sources, Estrie,
Quebec,
Canada
3.1 x 2 x 1 CM (miniature)
price: $280
Post Tucson 2015
Esthetic bi-color Vesuvianite with excellent luster. In fine condition and much better in person, from the world s best locality for Vesuvianite, the great Jeffrey mine. These are modern classics and the mine is now gone forever. Once common, this quality level has become quite rare and often very expensive.
Quartz - red inclusions of Hematite
stock #AX-11-408
Orange River, Namakwa
Northern Cape Province,
South Africa
4.7 x 3.1 x 2.5 CM (miniature)
price: $380
Post Tucson 2015
A classic Orange river Quartz on matrix that has excellent esthetics, form and condition. Deep orange-red color with good transparency, this is much better than typical for this fantastic locality. One attached crystal that is on the "backside" has damage, that is not seen on display. The main crystal is perfect.
Celestite - floater cluster
stock #0223-JM-2942
Clay Center, Ottawa County
Ohio,
United States
9 x 8.2 x 3.9 CM (cabinet)
price: $380
Post Tucson 2015
Ex John Marshall Collection, a fine zoned blue Celestite that has no attachment point, it is crystallized all around. The individual crystals reach 3.5 CM and are sharp with sky blue cores. Vintage 1970's undamaged from a now classic locale. Clay center still sometimes produces a few good specimens but this quality is not typical, the color is a little more vivid in person.
Spessartine over Orthoclase
stock #AX-12-426
Tongbei, Yunxiao County, Zhangzhou Prefecture
Fujian Province,
China
11.6 x 9.9 x 3.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $580
Post Tucson 2015
A big bright Spessartine garnet plate in which the original matrix of blocky Orthoclase crystals are now covered with bright sparkling garnets. Wonderful form, great condition with deep color, good luster and lots of sparkle. This quality was never common when Tongbei was productive, it is all but completely exhausted now. A future classic and likely to appreciate quickly.
Bixbyite, Pseudobrookite & Topaz
stock #A7-026-(1356)
Thomas Range, Juab County,
Utah,
United States
4.6 x 3.4 x 2.8 CM (miniature)
price: $220
Post Tucson 2015
From the Thomas Mountains a multi-species specimen with nice esthetics. This could be trimmed to thumbnail size but I like it as is. Fine condition, although with magnification some small contacts are noted on the Bixbite. It is not common to see all these species on the same matrix in close proximity.
Datolite
stock #15.1-413
Verhniy mine, Dalngorsk
Primorsky Kray,
Russia
6.5 x 6.3 x 4.4 CM (cabinet)
price: $330
Post Tucson 2015
An attractive, fine specimen of older Dalngorsk Datolites. Transparent lustrous crystals with orange-brown phantoms in greenish prisms cover the matrix in an esthetic arrangement. Individual crystals are up to 2.9 CM, this sort of Datolite was rare when first found, and has not been available for several year.
Hubeite and Inesite (very fine, type locality)
stock #AX-15-131
Fengjiashan Mine (Daye Mine), Daye County, Huangshi Pref.
Hubei Province,
China
12.6 x 11.9 x 3.9 CM (cabinet)
price: $750
Post Tucson 2015
A superb Hubeite specimen. This is a fine, large and impressive plate fully crystallized by sharp transparent Inesites and darker brown red Hubeites. This Hubeite is especially good as it is very sharply formed, densely packed and in much larger than usual crystals. All in all this is showy and damage free which is remarkable for such delicate minerals.