SOLD Cerussite - V-twins with cat's-eye
stock #SOLD 21.1-325
Touissit, Touissit-Bou Beker Dist., Jerada Province
Oriental Region,
Morocco
3.2 x 2.5 1.7 CM (thumbnail)
price: $0
Late Summer 2021
A sharp and lustrous pair of "V" twins are conjoined along one edge. A super large thumbnail from the great mines at Touissit. The crystals are gemmy, transparent, and have the silky chatoyant "cat's-eye" inclusions that are so distinctive for these from Touissit. This is the quality needed to make the rare faceted or cabbed cats-eye gems, but the fine condition of the crystals would make that a real shame to cut. The color ranges from cognac to almost colorless depending on the light angle striking the crystals. Overall in fine condition from most every angle, this is incredible for such a delicate and fragile mineral. Close inspection shows ultra tiny edge roughness and small contacts but as seen the the condition is very clean. This specimen dates to the "golden age" of Touissit mining in the late 1970's era. This incredible locality is closed forever and no more of these will be found.
Peridot (Forsterite)
stock #8.AE-845
Sapat Gall, Naran KaghanValley, Mansehra District
North West Frontier Province,
Pakistan
2.8 x 2.4 x 1.7 CM (thumbnail)
price: $160
Late Summer 2021
Thumbnail of Peridot crystals in a cluster from the great deposits of Pakistan. The crystals are typically etched on some faces and have good translucently. The whole piece is almost all Peridot with no matrix and looks good from several angles.
Fluorite on Quartz
stock #AX-14-347
Orange River, Namakwa
Northern Cape Province,
South Africa
3.6 x 1.4 x 1.3 CM (thumbnail)
price: $145
Late Summer 2021
A cute thumbnail with transparent, colorless Fluorites that have vivid purple cores or phantoms. These are all clustered on two faces of a clear Quartz crystal. The Quartz and the Fluorites are in fine condition. From a find about 4 years ago in the Orange River region (South Africa) this is just barely a thumbnail but will fit in a perky box.
Fluorite
stock #21.1-339
Cantera Llamas, Duyos, Caravia
Asturias,
Spain
2.9 x 1.8 x 1.8 CM (thumbnail)
price: $480
Late Summer 2021
A pair of edge modified cubes of transparent Fluorite in an esthetic cluster. The condition is incredible with textbook perfect form, the color a light violet and the one crystal is tabular. An excellent large thumbnail, it is hard to capture the clarity and form in photos, in person it is especially impressive. The faces appear glass-like and smooth at first but on close inspection with good lighting the surfaces are covered with tiny geometric growth structures. A few very tiny Fluorite cubes are perched on this as well, and there is a shard of snow-like Quartz matrix that adds a nice sparkle. Aside from a small cleave on the underside of the lower crystal (not visible on display) this is perfect from all points of view, competitive quality.
Goethite pseudomorph after Pyrite - USA classic locale
stock #7.AE-229
Green Monster Mountain, Prince of Wales Island, Prince of Wales Island
Alaska,
United States
2 x 1.6 x 1.2 CM (thumbnail)
price: $330
Late Summer 2021
A perfect thumbnail of a complete undamaged pseudomorph from the famed Green Monster Mountain (Alaska). This is the sharpest example of this replacement I have seen from this locality, though there are very few pieces to compare out there. This is a 360 degree specimen with textbook form and clean edges. One small spot shows a little remaining Pyrite which is surprisingly very lustrous. This is a classic locality for Epidote though the related minerals are much less well-known. Ex. A. Edwards collection, a fine small thumbnail.
Mimetite - modern classic
stock #21.1-291
San Pedro Corralitos, Municipio de Casas Grandes
Chihuahua,
Mexico
2.8 x 2.3 x 2.7 CM (thumbnail)
price: $690
Late Summer 2021
From San Pedro Coralitos, an older specimen with excellent form. Well-defined bright yellow balls of Mimetite are in both clusters and isolated on contrasting matrix. I have not seen many good thumbnails from this famed locality where most specimens were larger but this one is especially esthetic. In perfect condition on the display side, there is only a small contact on the backside of one ball not visible on display. There is no damage anywhere, this is a competition quality thumbnail.
Fluorite - gemmy
stock #21.1-317
Cantera Llamas, Duyos, Caravia
Asturias,
Spain
3.1 x 2.3 x 2 CM (thumbnail)
price: $550
Late Summer 2021
Limpid clear and perfect a single modified cube of light violet Fluorite on a small matrix druse of Quartz. Some faces are perfectly glass-like while other have some etched growth structures. The insides of the cube are fully transparent with no inclusions. From the small but remarkable locality of Cantera Llamas, this is far better than typical for this find, a competition grade thumbnail. The clear cube is more impressive in person as the color and clarity are hard to render on a computer screen.
Sphalerite - gemmy crystals
stock #18-AX-418
ZCA corporation / Pierrepont Mine, Pierrepont, St Lawrence County
New York,
United States
2.2 x 1.8 x 1.4 CM (thumbnail)
price: $240
Late Summer 2021
A very lustrous Sphalerite thumbnail. This is a sharp and fully transparent honey-yellow crystal from a classic Northeastern US Locality. The ZCA Mine in Saint Lawrence County has been the source of many fine minerals. This specimen is twinned as seen and has several complex growth structures on some faces as well as some flat glass-like ones as well. A few rough edges from contacts but overall in very good condition. What looks like inclusions inside the crystals in the photos is actually other crystals on the backside seen through the clear Sphalerite. Not many of these make it to the market, this specimen is from an older collection and was collected at least 25 years ago.
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