Fluorite with Galena, Chalcopyrite etc
stock #16.1-461-(CN3114)
Denton Mine, Harris Creek Sub District, Hardin County
Illinois,
United States
10.4 x 8.8 x 5.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $960
Early summer 2023
From the classic Southern Illinois Fluorite district, this is both a very attractive specimen and with a style quite unusual for Southern Illinois. The Fluorite crystals are especially transparent, light purple-blue and very well zoned. This has a few tiny Galena crystals and gemmy red Sphalerites scattered with the Fluorite. The backside has much more Sphalerite but the Fluorite of the front surface is more impressive and the logical display angle. In unusually fine condition as seen, there is a little outer edge roughness but the core of this piece is in great shape. The lighter overall color with dark purple edge zoning and the stepped frosted areas in the glassy faces is especially uncommon for this famed area. Ex Charles Noll collection, late 1970 vintage.
Chabazite with Heulandite
stock #23.1-412
Wasson's Bluff
Nova Scotia,
Canada
8.3 x 5.2 x 4 CM (cabinet)
price: $170
Early summer 2023
Well-crystallized Chabazite with strong salmon-orange color. From the famed cliffs of Wassons Bluff, Nova Scotia, this was collected in 1967 by Les Hitchings. Over the years there have been many good specimens of Chabazite that are sometimes exposed in these cliffs by the tides. Most are pale pink but deeper orange color like this are the most desirable. A modern classic.
Azurite - new find
stock #23.1-111
Bou Nahas Mine, Oumjtane, Anif Cercle, Tingir Province
Draa-Tafilalet Region,
Morocco
5.8 x 4.8 x 3.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $1950
Early summer 2023
A very fine, sharp and lustrous Azurite specimen from a new small find at the Copper mine of Bou Nahas. This find was made in the fall of 2022, and had some very good Azurites and native Copper. This is one of the best Azurites, it is in excellent condition, the largest crystal is perched at the top and is over 2 CM across. This locality has been known for a while for several interesting minerals but these very fine Azurites are something completely new. So far no similar pockets have turned up but we are hopeful. Meanwhile this is a choice piece from anyplace and exceptional for the locality. Even more impressive in person.
Native Silver and Copper
stock #15.1-651
Keweenaw Co.
Michigan,
United States
7.7 x 6.1 x 1.2 CM (cabinet)
price: $290
Early summer 2023
A USA classic Silver-Copper ex Johannson collection. The Silver is in crude crystals and masses most of which protrude from the Copper. The thin sheet of metal is is from .8 to 1.2 CM thick, but weighs a hefty 124 grams, which indicates a high percentage of Silver. There is no mine attribution in the collection notes but this was obtained in the late 1940 era by trade.
Fluorite - vivid red Alpine
stock #23.FC-087
Pointe Kurtz, Mt Blanc region, Chamonix, Benneville,
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes,
France
5.1 x 4.7 x 1.9 CM (miniature)
price: $3800
Early summer 2023
A rare and super impressive dark raspberry-red Fluorite from the high Alps. This rich color is incredibly rare and this is a fine example that looks much like a Rhodochrosite from a distance. This piece has minimal Quartz matrix and is mostly all Fluorite, it is fully translucent and will glow a deep red-pink with backlighting. These photos are not backlit so they show typical display conditions for this piece. These octahedral crystals are slightly frosted and have a wet look. These are mostly over 1 CM across in a tightly clustered grouping. From the find at Pointe Kurtz above Chamonix (French Alps), very few had this deep color, most were a typical pale pink. In very good condition, even though there are some small typical rough spots as usual in these clefts. As seen in the photos this is minor and not distracting. Overall an excellent display worthy specimen. The Pointe Kurtz is near the summit of Aguille Rouge in the Mt Blanc zone with an elevation of 3680 meters though the Fluorite was found a bit below that height. Collecting in this region is incredibly technical and requires impressive dedication as well as excellent mountaineering skills. Such specimens are the rare rewards.
Quartz on Barite (Sugar Bowl pocket)
stock #AX-19-021
Murray mine, Sugarbowl pocket, Independance Mts. District, Elko Co.
Nevada,
United States
3.6 x 3.1 x 1.9 CM (miniature)
price: $190
Early summer 2023
Bright and sparkling Quartz crystals have sugar-coated the front sides of Barite crystals. A distinctive find this was called the Sugar Bowl pocket. It was discovered almost 20 years ago, deep in the Murray Mine of the Elko gold mining region. As far as we know there was nothing else like these specimens ever found anyplace else in the USA. These are now only available from older collections. The front of the specimen is perfect, there are some side rub points and the back is the area of attachment. Pretty and bright.
HOLD Topaz - classic German gems
stock #HOLD 23.FC-045
Schneckenstein cliff, (Konigskrone Mine) Kielberg Mt.Klinginthal, Vogtla
Saxony,
Germany
8.8 x 6.5 x 4 CM (cabinet)
price: $1600
Early summer 2023
A superb specimen from this ancient locality, ex Paul Fitte collection. The Schnechenstein Topaz have been prized for centuries and mined starting in 1727, shortly after it was taken over by Augustus the Strong and the site was renamed Konigskrone (Kings Crown). The best Topaz were found in the next two decades and some minor production up until 1796. The finest yellow gem crystals have been prized in collections worldwide ever since. These have also been studied and described by many of the early mineralogists, they are quintessential classics. The area has been completely closed since 1938, any large and fine specimen like this is very old and very rare in such quality. The display face is covered with transparent sharp Topaz crystals most of which are a good yellow, a few are colorless, nestled in Quartz crystals. The largest Topaz is 2 CM, big for the locality. More unusual is the many terminated gem crystals on the matrix, most specimens only have two or so. Overall in fine condition this is the very best example we have had from this famed place.
Leadhillite - USA classic
stock #23.FC-052
Beer Cellar Mine, Newton County, Granby
Missouri,
United States
3.6 x 3.1 x 2.5 CM (small miniature/ large thumbnail (toenail))
price: $2400
Early summer 2023
A very rare classic example of this uncommon mineral from the long gone Beer Cellar Mine. Nicely crystalized with several habits showing but mostly the flat hexagonal type protected in a vug along with tiny Hemimorphite blades. Leadhillite is only known from a small number of localities worldwide, one of the most legendary finds was this very small one in 1895. This was also the last time the mineral was found in this entire region. From an old French collection, this was probably one of the few specimens that were collected by AE Foote and sold in his French shop at that time. This specimen is certainly not pretty (except to lovers of rare Lead minerals) and is not the coveted blue green color. It is also not over 20,000 USD (as have been the last ones in this size to be auctioned). These crystals are a good pearly white, mostly about 3-4 MM but one is about 1 CM across. Two faces of this cherty Dolomite matrix host the Leadhillites with the largest zone being 2.8 CM across. While not conventionally pretty this is a real holy grail for Tri-state and Lead secondary collectors. Such classics are almost never available and always greatly prized.
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