Alpine Treasures 42
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 3.7 x 2.8 x 1.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This is an exceptionally beautiful combination of hematite on quartz. The shiny metallic hematite is a solid plate with smaller secondary crystals. The quartz is transparent, highly lustrous and perfectly crystallized all around. Whichever way you look at it, this entire piece is perfect. There is also no damage to the back, which is but a bit rough in places. On the surface of the hematite, tiny rutile crystals can also be seen, as is typical for the locale.
Krumltal, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 10.1 x 3.1 x 1.9 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This quartz specimen is particularly colorful which is due to green chlorite and orange iron oxide which makes it really appealing in person! The quartz itself is clear and lustrous and well shaped. There is no damage, even the bottom is completely re-crystallized. On the lower backside there is a 2.5 cm ankerite aggregate which is a rare addition and makes this even more special!
Breithorn, Grengiols, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 4.7 x 2.9 x 1.9 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This is without doubt an excellent Alpine rutile specimen featuring a stunning 1.5 cm rutile main crystal. Having a closer look on that main crystal I can see that it’s doubly terminated and flawless. It has a brilliant lustrous surface with nice structure and is very well defined. The second crystal is equally flawelss and sharp. The rutiles are set on a matrix of white calcite and quartz, which adds a strong contrast. The sides of the specimen are not freshly broken but, if you look very closely, covered in limonite micro-crystals. A wonderful specimen all around!
Krumltal, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 5.7 x 2.4 x 1.6 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The main crystal is very sharp and lustrous and transparent with a lovely golden color which comes from minimal, hardly discernible iron oxide residues. The crystal has some side-crystals on the back as well as a single pericline crystal near the surface which makes a vibrant picture here. Condition is virtually perfect, with only a microscopic ding on the tip. Definitely a lovely and unusual specimen!
Tiefengletscher, Urseren, Uri, Switzerland
Size: 4.5 x 4 x 1.5 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This 4.5 cm gwindel is exceptionally well developed! While it has a slight chloritization on some of the faces, most are clear and lustrous. The interior is completely glassy with a nice smoky color. The bottom is broken but further up the gwindel is in superb condition and very well developed!
Goldzechkees, Rauris, Zell am See, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 10.1 x 4.7 x 3.1 cm
Watch Video
|
||
It's an Alpine rarity that is very difficult to obtain: A citrine crystal, found at the Goldzechkees at the rear end of the Rauris valley. We were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a small lot of these pieces. In terms of quality and color, this piece is truly outstanding. It is a single highly lustrous crystal with a clear zone at the top. While the lower part is milky white, the crystal shows a distinct yellowish color towards the tip. Admittedly, this color is not overly intense, but there is probably no such thing as a deep yellow quartz from the Alps. Our picture and also the video convey a realistic idea!
Marmottakluft, Grimselpass, Haslital, Kanton Bern, Switzerland
Size: 6.9 x 4.1 x 2.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This specimen is something really special: An exceptionally attractive high quality quartz with unusually striking aesthetics from the Marmotta cleft. The Marmotta cleft is a lesser known locale that produced only a moderate number of crystals but which are famous for their spectacular quality! This specimen features a doubly terminated water clear crystal in excellent condition that lies diagonally over a vertical quartz, accompanied by smaller quartz crystals and sparkling chlorite. As you can see in our picture and the video, the quality and well balanced aesthetics here are absolutely amazing indeed!
Krumltal, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 9.4 x 6.7 x 5 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The 5.5 cm main quartz is water-clear, sharp, highly lustrous and in superb condition! It is set on a silvery schist matrix that is partly covered with white calcite crystals. A truly magnificent specimen from the Kruml valley, a side-valley of the Rauris valley.
Camissinone Mine, Zogno, Brembana Valley, Bergamo Province, Lombardy, Italy
Size: 14.5 x 7.2 x 13 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Look at the size of this fantastic Zogno fluorite!
This is a complete floater, heavily etched all around yet at some areas still showing the original cubical crystal habit! The color is a combination of light green and violet, showing very interesting zoning throughout the crystal. Some limonite inclusions add an earthy-brown color here and there though most of the fluorite is just thransparent and flawless!
One cleavage at the backside is the only issue on this heavy and relatively fragile speicmen, the rest is all complete and perfect which is absolutely remarkable in person! A stunning specimen from this important locale!
Val Gronda da Cavrein, Vorderrheintal, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 7.1 x 5.9 x 5.6 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Whitish quartz crystals sit on a rock matrix richly covered with green epidotes. I very much like the contrast of white and green here, which makes the piece unusual and attractive. Apart from the tiniest abrasions at the tip, the entire piece is in excellent condition.
Val Giuv, Tujetsch, Vorderrhein Valley, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 6.8 x 4.4 x 3.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Really exceptional here is the fantastic dark brown color. At first glance, the crystal appears almost black, only to reveal its warm brown when exposed to direct light. Truly outstanding! The quartz is transparent, sharply defined and highly lustrous. At the back it may have detached from the rock, but here too everything is re-crystallized and overgrown with smaller quartz and some feldspar, so not damaged. The bottom is broken. Apart from that, however, only the tiniest abrasions can be seen.
Cavradi, Val Curnera, Tujetsch, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 8.7 x 7.8 x 3.6 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Quality and aesthetics of this spectacular quartz are absolutely phenomenal in person!
The main crystal is close to 7 cm long. Luster and clarity are really as god as it gets.
Inside there is some white cloud which I would say registers as a “faden”.
The quartz is sharp and well developed all around and in superb condition!
It sits on a piece of rock matrix, associated with small quartz, white calcites, some pericline and hematite micro-crystals.
An absolutely breathtaking specimen of stunning visual impact!