Fluorite on Quartz
stock #6.2-440
Xianghualing Mine, Linwu County, Chenzhou Pref.
Hunan Province,
China
5.1 x 4.5 x 3.1 CM (small cabinet/ large miniature)
price: $180
Early summer 2021
Mint-green cubo-octahedral crystals of transparent Fluorite on contrasting Quartz crystals. The Fluorites have some slightly frosted faces and are well isolated and perched well up from the orange and white Quartz. In excellent condition from the 2005 era finds at Xianghualing. These are no longer coming on to the market and they represent a very attractive yet still affordable display specimen. Looks fine from several angles.
Mimetite
stock #10.1-318
Level 13, Potosi Mine, Santa Eulalia
Chihuahua,
Mexico
6.3 x 4 x 2.3 CM (small cabinet/ large miniature)
price: $440
Early summer 2021
Botryoidal green Mimetite in well-formed balls covering one face of matrix. From a quite old find at the Potosi Mine of Santa Eulalia, this is remarkably like the famed Mimetite of San Pedro Corralitos, but it is green instead of yellow. The Mimetite has two distinct tones of green and has a satin luster. This is in very fine condition, quite esthetic and with no evident damage on the display surface.
Epidote (flower form) on phantom Quartz
stock #8.AE-892
Hongquizhen Quarry, Meigu County, Liangshan Yi Pref.
Sichuan Province,
China
8.3 x 5.4 x 2 CM (cabinet)
price: $100
Early summer 2021
A small but perfect and well-perched flower-like cluster of dark green Epidote rests on a plate of included Quartz. The Quartz crystals have distinct phantoms and zoned inclusions of reddish Hematite which contrasts well with the Epidote. A specimen from the Hongquizhen Quarry found about 15 years ago; we do not see this material now from China, this is in very good condition, and quite lustrous in person.
An unusually well-formed, sharp and distinct replacement of free-standing Azurites. Azurite pseudos were common from Tsumeb but really good ones are quite rare. The crystals here are quite slender and elongated, being over 3 CM long but the narrow dimension is just 2-3 mm wide. For such a slender and delicate mineral this is in fantastic condition. The wide faces show the classic "starbursts" of the Malachite replacements on the surface, which is especially chatoyant. The main Malachites are perfectly intact and terminated, but some smaller crystals were broken or contacted long ago, but have begun rehealing or recrystallizing. The largest crystals are also free-standing they are only attached at the base and do not lay on the matrix. An older specimen from Tsumeb that also looks a little like some of the best pseudos from the Sacramento Mine at Bisbee.
Ripidolite (Clinochlore) pseudo after Garnet
stock #AX-19-122
Spurr Mine, Imperial Heights, Baraga County
Michigan,
United States
2 x 1.8 x 1.7 CM (thumbnail)
price: $80
Early summer 2021
A complete 360 degree Garnet crystal fully replaced by the Ripidolite (var. of Clinoclore) with a tiny sliver of matrix. A classic from Michigan, these were at one time called Aphrosiderite, and the replacing materials were usually referred to as Chlorite. This thumbnail is quite sharp and has kept some small edge modifications seen on some faces. The source of this one is the Spurr Mine, most others we have seen do not have specific localities.
Pyrargyrite with Acanthite - classic
stock #20-FC-030-(9124)
Freiberg District, Mittlesachsen
Saxony,
Germany
3 x 2.4 x 1.9 CM (thumbnail)
price: $580
Early summer 2021
A lustrous but dark cluster of well-formed textbook crystals of Pyrargyrite associated with some Acanthite on a little Quartz matrix. Under strong lighting or with magnification the ruby-red reflections and highlights are seen and there are some translucent areas as well. This is a complex piece in that nearly every side has some attractive crystals and it is hard to pick a "best view". An older specimen from a very classic locality where silver was mined since the 1300's.
Cerussite - fine classic German
stock #0030-JM-180
Freiberg District, Mittlesachsen
Saxony,
Germany
8.3 x 7.8 x 4.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $900
Early summer 2021
A fine old Cerussite cluster with crystals to over 3 CM in a nearly pure cluster. A few thin shards of matrix host dozens of silky luster prisms in very good condition. Ex John Marshall collection with his label, he obtained this in Jan of 1972 from Ron Bentley after Bentley had purchased the stock of the famed Shortmann's minerals. The Schortmann Brothers handled many excellent European classics after the war from several important collections. This piece has a Moritz Lechner (Vienna, Austria) Number 7557 which puts this into the collection well before 1903. Lechner's collection was built mostly in the late 1800's and was one of the best at that time in the region. Lechner was wealthy enough to purchase several important earlier collections, some dating back to the early 1700's. This specimen is unusual and does not look like most other Freiburg Cerussites; it is especially well-crystalized and looks rather like more recent examples from Lower Saxony. We have no exact mine attribution but no matter the exact source this is an excellent vintage German Cerussite.
Beryl var. Heliodor
stock #14.1-229
Volodarsk-Volynskii
Zhytomyr Oblast',
Ukraine
5.4 x 3.4 x 2.8 CM (cabinet)
price: $4200
Early summer 2021
A perfect, complete floater gem crystal with superb etching on all sides and both terminations. From the famed chamber pegmatites of Volodarsk which are unique in the world and the source of the world's best Heliodors. This crystal is pure gem grade, 52.5 grams, flawless inside and undamaged outside. It is like a piece of partly melted yellow ice. The color is the top greenish-yellow that this locale is known for. The two terminations are different in habit with one having several pointed tips which are highly sculptural. This specimen is superb for this locality, as fine a small cabinet as possible to find, and an incredible Beryl from anyplace in the world.