International Minerals 57
Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan , Pakistan
Size: 6.1 x 5.5 x 3.1 cm
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A rather unusual and fascinating combination of minerals from Stak Nala. The specimen brings together intensely green fluorite, transparent quartz and several beautifully gemmy tourmaline crystals. I particularly like the way these minerals complement one another, both in color and in their different crystal forms. The fluorite has a wonderfully vivid green color and excellent transparency, while the quartz adds a delicate, almost glassy element to the composition. The tourmalines show the characteristic colors known from this locality, a nice forest green that turns opaque further down. Despite their relatively small size, they are remarkably gemmy and add some lovely details to the piece. All crystals display excellent luster and transparency, and the specimen is in superb condition, including the backside. What makes this piece especially appealing to me is that it is not necessarily one that reveals everything at first glance. The more time you spend looking at it, the more interesting details you discover. A very unusual association with an excellent combination of minerals and colors.
Erongo Mountains, Karibib Constituency, Erongo Region, Namibia
Size: 9.1 x 6.7 x 5.4 cm
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If you appreciate fine aquamarines, this striking crystal from the Erongo Mountains is certainly worth a closer look. Over the years, we have been fortunate to acquire many beautiful aquamarines from Namibia, but the exceptional quality and intense color of this 2025 find make it particularly special. The specimen consists of a single large aquamarine crystal on matrix. As is typical of many Namibian aquamarines, the lower portion becomes increasingly intergrown with the feldspar, giving the piece a very natural and appealing appearance. The freely exposed upper portion is truly impressive, reaching a diameter of up to 5.7 cm. It features a remarkably smooth, finely textured surface, excellent transparency and a beautiful water-blue color. What I find particularly appealing is the depth of the color, which has a subtle, almost mysterious intensity even without direct illumination. The video gives an especially good impression of the crystal's excellent luster and the fine details of its surface. A superb aquamarine from a recent Erongo find, combining impressive dimensions with exceptional color and crystal quality.
Galdino mine, Medina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Size: 5 x 2.6 x 2.6 cm
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A very attractive apatite specimen from a recent lot of particularly fine material at the Galdino Mine. The specimen features a beautifully developed, doubly terminated main crystal measuring 2.2 cm in length. What makes this piece especially appealing is the way the apatite is perched on top of a sculptural feldspar matrix, creating a very elegant and well-balanced composition. The crystal displays a lovely green color and good transparency, which becomes particularly vivid when illuminated from behind. The combination of the striking crystal form, the sculptural matrix and the beautiful color makes this a very aesthetic little specimen.
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A very attractive aegirine specimen that features a beautiful arrangement of dark, almost black aegirine crystals rising from a well-defined white feldspar matrix. The contrast between the two minerals is particularly striking, with the elongated, sharply formed aegirine crystals standing out beautifully against the pale background. Several prominent crystals project freely from the matrix, creating a wonderfully sculptural composition. Their dark color and distinct crystal forms give the specimen a strong visual presence, while the white feldspar provides a clean and elegant contrast. The piece is in excellent condition, with no visible damage. A very fine and well-preserved Mount Malosa specimen, combining excellent crystal definition with a striking natural composition.
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Tsumeb, Namibia
Size: 6 x 5.5 x 3 cm
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A charming dioptase specimen from the famous Tsumeb Mine. The 6 cm piece is crystallized all around with countless brilliant dioptase crystals, accompanied by white calcite. While the individual crystals are rather small, their sheer number creates a wonderful sparkling effect across the entire specimen. The intense green color adds even more to its appeal, making for a lively and eye-catching display. As is so often the case with dioptase, its color is difficult to capture accurately in photographs. The green is considerably more vivid and beautiful in person! A very attractive Tsumeb dioptase with plenty of sparkle and a particularly appealing color.
Mogok Township, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
Size: 9.8 x 4.9 x 3.4 cm
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A beautiful and substantial topaz crystal from Mogok, displaying a lovely champagne color. The crystal has a clear, well-defined form, with sharply developed faces, excellent luster and very good transparency. Particularly appealing is its warm champagne hue, which gives the crystal a wonderful presence without being overly intense. As is characteristic of topaz from this locality, the termination is remarkably complex, with an intricate arrangement of shiny crystal faces. The topaz is doubly terminated and in very good condition overall. There are only a few minor abrasions, while most of the irregularities visible on the terminations and underside are natural surface features rather than damage. A fine, well-preserved topaz crystal from this classic locality, combining impressive proportions with beautiful color and a fascinating crystal form.
Bor Pit, Dal'negorsk, Kavalerovo Mining District, Primorskiy Kray, Russia
Size: 13 x 9 x 5 cm
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An impressive datolite specimen from Dalnegorsk, a locality renowned for producing some of the finest examples of this mineral. Measuring impressive 13 cm, the specimen consists of several large, beautifully developed crystals that come together to form a bold and sculptural composition. All of the crystals show excellent luster and sharply defined faces, giving the piece a wonderful overall presence. One of its most appealing features is the subtle variation in color and transparency. The large crystal on the left, together with several smaller crystals beside it, is translucent and shows a delicate greenish tint, while the crystals toward the right are more milky and softly colored. This creates a beautiful interplay of tones entirely within the datolite itself, without any contribution from other minerals. The specimen is in excellent condition. A superb cabinet specimen with a striking composition, beautiful luster and a very nice natural color contrast.
Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA
Size: 16.5 x 9.5 x 5.5 cm
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A truly unusual specimen from the famous Elmwood Mine in Tennessee. It features a sharply crystallized aggregate of lustrous sphalerite perched right on the tip of a massive, yellowish-white calcite crystal. The composition is quite remarkable and unlike anything I have come across from this locality. The impressive size of 16.5 x 9.5 x 5.5 cm makes it all the more striking. Both minerals show brilliant luster, and the crystallization is excellent throughout. The specimen is in very good condition, without any major issues. The backside is mostly contacted, but not damaged. There is some cleavage at the bottom, where a purple fluorite crystal is still visible. This is really a specimen to be enjoyed from the front, where the striking contrast between the sphalerite and calcite creates an unusually bold and appealing composition.
Sa Duchessa Mine, Domusnovas, Sardinia, Italy
Size: 7.9 x 7.3 x 3.9 cm
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A beautiful hemimorphite specimen with an exceptionally vivid turquoise-blue color. The color is really what makes this piece so special. Intense, bright and wonderfully saturated, it is complemented by an excellent luster that gives the specimen a particularly lively appearance. The front is covered with a beautifully developed botryoidal surface, creating a lovely contrast with the brown host rock visible on the backside. Along the edges, the different stages of growth are clearly visible, revealing alternating layers of white and blue hemimorphite. A very appealing specimen that is all about its outstanding color and luster. The video gives a particularly good impression of just how beautiful this blue really is.
Laghman Province, Nuristan , Afghanistan
Size: 6.3 x 5.1 x 3.9 cm
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A truly charming and highly aesthetic specimen from the renowned pegmatites of the Laghman Province. This complete floater features a beautiful coating of crystallized white lepidolite, from which several tourmaline crystals gracefully emerge. The overall composition is wonderfully balanced, with the delicate forms of the tourmalines standing out against the pale, sparkling matrix. The two most prominent crystals are particularly appealing, both wonderfully gemmy and displaying a soft, delicate green hue. The crystal on the left measures 2.8 cm in length and 6 mm in thickness, while the larger one on the right reaches 4 cm. It elegantly passes through the matrix, ending in a sharply pointed termination above, with a flat contact at its base. The piece has a remarkable presence thanks to its refined proportions and almost delicate appearance. It's in near-pristine condition, making it all the more desirable. A lovely example of the subtle beauty that can be found in Afghan pegmatites, combining fine crystal quality with an exceptionally harmonious composition.
Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 13 x 6.4 x 5.5 cm
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A fine skeletal quartz specimen from the Shigar Valley. Although the original hexagonal form of the crystal is still clearly recognizable, almost all of its faces have been affected by natural resorption. This has created the characteristic skeletal structure, giving the crystal a fascinating and highly distinctive appearance. The specimen is a complete floater, crystallized all around and in very good condition, with only a few isolated abrasions. A first-class skeletal quartz of attractive size and shape, showing the remarkable forms that natural resorption can produce.
Spitzkopje, Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia
Size: 7.8 x 3.7 x 3 cm
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A very fine and rather unusual topaz on smoky quartz from Spitzkopje. The specimen features a single, beautifully developed topaz crystal attached right at the termination of a lustrous smoky quartz. This unusual positioning creates a particularly attractive composition and makes the piece stand out from more typical topaz associations. The topaz is transparent, with a slightly rough but very appealing natural surface. It is in excellent condition, with a contact at the back being the only notable feature. The smoky quartz is equally impressive, showing excellent transparency, bright luster and a distinctive crystal shape. There is a contact on the backside, but from the front the specimen displays beautifully. An unusual and highly aesthetic combination of two classic Namibian minerals.