Vesuvianite - Gem crystal
stock #17.1-440
Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos (now Val-des-Sources, Estrie,
Quebec,
Canada
3.6 x 1.6 x 1.5 CM (miniature)
price: $3300
Pre Tucson
Vivid color and glassy faces with well-defined striations, this crystal is nearly all transparent and in perfect condition. The color is a bright asparagus green and has a purple to red core. In person the termination looks like a faceted gem, the luster is so bright it is hard to convey in photos. The Vesuvianites from Jeffrey Mine are unique in the world, famed for the colors and perfection. There were quite a few good ones found a few decades ago but very fine crystals like this were never common. Today we see very few and always at very high prices. This is from the F. Spertini collection (the mine geologist for whom Spertiniite is named) and is far better in person with a top display impact. No damage at all. Even on the bottom where it had been naturally broken inside the pocket long ago it is fully healed and re-crystalized. So technically this is doubly terminated and a floater.
Gibbsite- type locale, historic specimen
stock #16.1-125
Richmond, Berkshire County
Massachusetts,
United States
7.7 x 5.6 x 5.4 CM (cabinet)
price: $330
Pre Tucson
A fine botryoidal crust of yellowish-white Gibbsite on Limonite ore. From the famed Oren Root collection (with label) which was transferred to Hamilton College in 1835. The Root collection was at that time the finest in the United Staes. This was a new specie named in 1822 in honor of Colonel George Gibbs who was also an important early American mineral collector. This is a very early piece from the type locale, when first found it was misidentified as Wavellite. The specimen left Hamilton College to the NY State Museum collection then to Don Potter and later to Dr. Steven Chamberlain, then to Carter Rich. A long history indeed. Good fluorescence as well, with green and yellow zones LW and midwave shows green to bluish purple and yellow zones.
Minas Gerais,
Brazil
3.2 x 2.4 x 1.1.9 CM (small miniature/ large thumbnail (toenail))
price: $0
Pre Tucson
Bright yellow gem grade Beryl crystal 26.2 grams. Essentially this is all fine facet grade that was rescued from cutting some decades ago. This crystal section is well-terminated on one end and although broken on the other end it does show some rehealing there. The color is yellow with an orange hue in most lighting but with a backlight it is a pure bright yellow. It does not seem to be heat treated or irradiated as far as we can tell. Since this came from a gem lot in Minas Gerais (Brazil) we are not certain of the exact mine source, though we have guesses. It is sold as a very nice gem crystal at a great discount for the reason of incomplete locality data. Very fine luster and well-defined striations, this is sold below the value of the facet rough.
Bournonite - fine cogswheel habit crystals
stock #21.1-538
Machocamarco Mine, Cornelio Saavreda Province
Potosi,
Bolivia
4.7 x 3.4 x 2.2 CM (miniature)
price: $690
Pre Tucson
Perfect, sharp and very lustrous metallic crystals in a cluster from the important find in 2019 at the Machacamarca Mine. The form and habit really look like fine classic Cornish crystals but these are recent and a small fraction of the cost for a vintage English specimen. The crystals are up to 1.8 CM, undamaged and have textbook perfect morphology. Steel-grey color and an elegant arrangement make this miniature far especially choice. These are certain to be considered classics themselves in the future. Right now this quality and price for undamaged Bournonites is something special.
A small cluster of bright pink Tourmalines with good translucency and gem transparent sections. This has sharp edges, well-formed striations and flat terminations in excellent condition. Any such specimens from this locality are very rare and any good ones like this are simply never seen on the market. This is mounted on a 19th century style turned wooden base. Certainly the best specimen I have seen from this locality but honestly I have seen very few others, and none ever outside of museum collections.
Wulfenite - classic USA locality with unusual form
stock #19.1-989
Mammoth -St Anthony Mine, Tiger, Mammoth District, Pinal County
Arizona,
United States
3.3 x 2.2 x 1.7 CM (small miniature/ large thumbnail (toenail))
price: $190
Pre Tucson
From the famed Tiger, Arizona locality (Mammoth-St Anthony Mine) This is a quite delicate and well-crystalized small miniature. Wulfenite from Tiger is not rare, it was even at one time used as an ore with hundreds of tons being crushed for Molybdenum. Tiger Wulfenites are known in many habits and often as sizable crystal masses of inter-grown blades. Small, perfect, transparent yellow-orange crystals like these are much less common, showing beveled edges and windowpane form. A nice addition to a Wulfenite suite, Arizona collection, or just for esthetic appreciation.
Sphalerite on Quartz
stock #6.2-149
Shuikoushan Lead Zinc Mine, Changning, Hengyang Pref.
Hunan Province,
China
9.3 x 6.7 x 5.6 CM (cabinet)
price: $260
Pre Tucson
Ruby-red Sphalerite crystals scattered on a druzy Quartz from the 2005 era finds at Shuikoushan (China). The specimen also has several smaller orange Sphalerites that add a nice contrast. The matrix is a complex three-dimensional Quartz with hills, valleys and crevices that host these gemmy Sphalerites. In excellent condition overall, the Sphalerite crystals are mostly twinned and very translucent, these are singles and in clusters to almost 2 CM though the average is about 1 CM. The matrix was sawn on the bottom/ back to allow this to be collected without damage, the sawn areas are not visible in any display angle. Better in person and incredible with backlighting, these photos are not made with any.
A mix of bright green Variscite and powder blue Wavellite from the Ronneburg Uranium mines. The Wavellite is mostly blue but some is colorless and a few areas are actually clear, transparent balls. The Variscite is translucent on close exam and has several different green hues. This locality is not well-known to many collectors outside Europe but it is an incredible zone for fascinating and complex mineralogy, rare species and interesting associations. This specimen is quite good sized, colorful and is well covered on both sides with these Phosphate minerals. Under magnification the spheres, are unusually lustrous. Ex Vrzal collection.
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