Mixed Minerals
NEAT Tunnel, Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland
Size: 8.6 x 4.3 x 2.3 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
Anhydrite is for sure one of the most desired mineral species from Switzerland due to its extreme rareness! This specimen is a near-perfect floater that is absolutely remarkable! It is a single crystal of impresive size. The surface is partly covered in a mix of small anhydrite and metallic hematite. The anhydrite shows top inner quality that needs only very little illumination to show its clarity and the slighly violet color. The whole piece is in just excellent condition with only very minimal issues on small side-crystals at the backside. An ansolutely amazing specimen of this rare mineral!
Paprok, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Size: 8.1 x 5.2 x 2.7 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This cluster of basically two doubly terminated tourmaline crystals is a textbook example for the kind of unusual aesthetics that stands out from the crowd! In fact this specimen is a complete and flawless floater that features brilliant tourmaline on a base of blocky feldspar and lovely sparkling cleavelandite. While the combination is stunning for sure, the main thing is the tourmalines that strike with best luster, attractively developed stepped growth and gemmy green color! Even at room light illumination the open color is bright and fresh. Interesting enough the two crystals show different color development. Besides the green main color one crystal changes to white while the upper, more compact crystal has a pinkish red lower termination. All this sums up to an unusual and brilliant specimen of gorgeous aesthetics! No repair, no restoration, just perfect!
Berbes Mining area, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain
Size: 23 x 11.7 x 7 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This is a phantastic specimen with a group of deep purple fluorites on a matrix covered by yellowish quartz. Beautiful in person!
Tormiq valley, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 4.7 x 3.9 x 1.1 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
|
Epidote from the Alpine type clefts of Pakistan are a well known species that impresses with gemmy quality and a multitude of different shapes!
The main crystal is a thick and meaty one with a sharp and well defined termination. It is completely gemmy with a "thread" running through the bottom and combining it with some associated side-crystals. The condition is very good with only minimal abrasions.
Ras Koh Mts., Kharan, Balochistan, Pakistan
Size: 6.9 x 4.2 x 3.2 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Bow ties, stacked upon bow ties, constructing a sweeping sculpture of superb luster and intriguing aesthetics! The epidote aggregates are highly lustrous, jet black shapes that are very much characteristic for a recent find of this unique type of epidote! This unusually fine specimen is a complete floater without any damage all around. The backside is marked by some white calcite. While this calcite is only peripherally visible from the front, it adds a certain touch, emphasizes the outline and adds some contrast. Stunning aesthetics and very best quality are piled up to construct this fabulous exemplar of bow tie epidote!
Pampa Blanca, Huancavelica Department, Peru
Size: 10.6 x 7.9 x 6.2 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The fanning crystals of this specimen are very characteristic for the locale but still, this piece is exceptional and stands out from the crowd! With over 10 cm in hight it’s save from getting lost in a crowded showcase, especially as the quality of the epidote really catches the eye! Superb luster on all sides, sharp terminations and a sweeping architecture make this specimen special. Some associated white calcite contrasts with the deep forest green color of the epidote! While some of the epidotes show contacts, none of them are freshly broken and seems to be re-healed. Overall the condition is superb with no actual damage anywhere around! As you can very well see in our video, the backside is not even a real backside, it’s way too beautiful for that! A 360° beautiful specimen that is highly appealing in person!
Tormiq valley, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Size: 9.9 x 7 x 3.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Tormiq is well known for its Alpine type titanite specimens and you can easily see why. This rock matrix is richly covered in grass-green titanite twins up to around 1.5 cm in size. What is very intriguing about the aesthetics here is the divided main view which features said titanite wealth but also a zone of white calcite and albite which nicely contrasts with the green zone. However, the titanite is of very fine quality, lustrous, gemmy and flawless. Unusual composition meets superb quality!
Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy
Size: 9.5 x 5.8 x 4.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
Elba Island is one of the great classical localities of Europe and has produce a great many different minerals over the centuries. While, as type locality of elbaite, Elba is primarily known for fine tourmaline specimens, many other great mineral specimens have been unearthed here. This superb specimen is a shiny example for the high quality this locale produced. Highly lustrous hematite crystals up to 2.5 cm in diameter are clustered across a heavy matrix like a sparkling crown. The hematite is associated with small quartz needles as is characteristic for the locale. The metallic luster has a red tinge to it, revealed at closer inspection under direct downlight. This is an outstanding and just staggering hematite specimen from one of the most famous classic locales!
Mundo Nuevo Mine, Mundo Nuevo, Huamachuco, Sanchez Carrion, La Libertad, Peru
Size: 6.9 x 5.3 x 3.9 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This is probably the most aesthetically striking and also best preserved specimen I have seen of this exceptionally rare mineral combination that has been found only at this one locale in Peru! Stacked scheelite crystals are towering above a white quartz cluster and show very well defined octahedral shapes. The scheelite is completely coated in signal yellow stolzite which is extremely rare and definitely gorgeous in person! Unlike most specimens of this type this coating is almost flawless with only very minimal abrasions. The backside shows some hübnerite going up like a spine that supports the scheelite architecture. A spectacular specimen of very unusual character!
Turt Mine, Turt Negresti-Oas, Oas Mts, Satu Mare Co., Romania
Size: 9.5 x 8.1 x 4.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This is a marvelous paragenesis of chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite that is rather characteristic for the Turt Mine in Romania where it was found. The specimen is crystallized on all sides with one 2.5 cm contact on the side but no damage! The sculpturesque shape with starkly contrasting association is aesthetic in its very own classic sense! Have a look on our video for a better all-around impression and a better 3-dimensional feeling!
Mt Xuebaoding, Ping Wu, Sichuan Province, China
Size: 7.2 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This excellent cassiterite on mica from Mt. Xuebaoding strikes with absolutely best aesthetics! The single cassiterite crystal is sharply cut and with just brilliant luster! The black crystal is set atop a beautiful matrix of white adularia and sivery tabular muscovite. The muscovite is nicely arranged and composes a fantastic, well balanced base for the main crystal! There is no damage to be found here, only some peripheral contacts but which is invisible from the main view!
Mundo Nuevo Mine, Mundo Nuevo, Huamachuco, Sanchez Carrion, La Libertad, Peru
Size: 10.9 x 8.5 x 4.7 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Pyrite is stacked upon pyrite, all towering up until one singel 3.5 cm octahedron completes the composition. All crystals show nice golden luster and well developed crystal shape. There is no damage to be found here - also the backside is an impressive show of rich intergrown pyrite. Unusually nice aesthetics, sharp crystals and brilliant luster are adding up to a superb pyrite specimen!