Cerussite - stacked sixling twins
stock #19.1-105
Broken Hill, Yancowinna County
New South Wales,
Australia
7.3 x 5.3 x 4.7 CM (cabinet)
price: $2400
Early summer 2023
An elegant stack of sixling twinned Cerussites from the classic Broken Hill Mine (Australia). The stack, when viewed from the ends, looks like a typical six-ray star form Cerussite, but when seen on the side is a stack of many connected twins in an aligned cluster. In remarkable condition for this delicate mineral, there is no damage seen by naked eye. This is another modern classic locale although it dates back to 1885, it was until recently one of the major Lead mines in the world. This specimen is fairly old and unusual as the delicate reticulation is very well defined and far more lustrous than most. A super Cerussite from Broken Hill and about as fine as can be found outside museums.
Botallackite - very rich specimen
stock #22.1-381
Cligga Mine, Cligga Head, Perranporth, Perranzabuloe, St. Agnes District
Cornwall,
England
7.8 x 5.9 x 4.7 CM (cabinet)
price: $800
Early summer 2023
A fine and sizable classic Botallackite from Cligga Head (Cornwall) with dense coverings of bright vivid green crystals. A fairly rare Copper Chloride, these crystals are on every side of the matrix. There are two larger flat faces on either side that are nearly solid lustrous Botallackite. Not often seen as display quality specimens (most are micros) this piece has fine impact. Quite big crystals for the specie and on an attractive cabinet sized matrix .
Bright and lustrous Azurite crystals in a vug with scattered balls of blue-green Allophane and darker green Malachite. A few small Cuprite crystals are seen with good magnification as well. From the Kelly Mine (New Mexico) which is famed for its great Smithsonites, but also had some very nice Copper minerals which are less often seen. This was collected in 1966 by Les Hitchings and was #741 in his collection.
Stolzites from the famed find at St. Lucie Mine in the 1990 era were instant classics. These were (and are today) the world's largest crystals, and all are primary Stolzite (not pseudomorphs). There were only a handful of complete crystals like this, with the edge termination complete all around and no damage. Most in the find were a colorless to pale yellow, this bright orange color is exceptionally rare in the find. Stolzite is found as micro crystals in several localities, it is a fairly rare Lead secondary that can look like Wulfenite but has Tungsten instead of Molybdenum. The pocket found at St Lucie was an extraordinary discovery. The crystals were mostly tabular like a typical Wulfenite habit but with stepped edges and a somewhat etched surface. These are now only available from old collections and this orange color is just never seen. A modern classic and a killer thumbnail.
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.
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