Mixed Minerals
Grieswies, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 9.8 x 6.8 x 2.4 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
A floater specimen of cream-white pericline with a single quartz crystal that stands up at the top. The pericline is in best condition all around, the quartz has a hardly visible chip at the tip. At some spots there are small rutile needles which is characteristic for the locale in the rear part of the Rauris valley. A very nicely crystallized specimen in best condition!
Berbes Mining area, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain
Size: 7.5 x 4.4 x 3.3 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
Another very nice group!
Zagi Mountain, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Size: 2.2 x 1.3 x 1.2 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This is a wonderful exemplar of the rare mineral bastnäsite. The crystal shows a satiated oragnge-brown color and is limpid. The termination is complete and undamaged. Also the bottom is crystallized and despite a contact at the lower backside there is nothing to worry about at this specimen. A rare marvel of superb quality!
Elba Island, Livorno Province, Tuscany, Italy
Size: 7.1 x 6.7 x 4.6 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 pristine hematite, embedded in a nest of fine white quartz, is a shiny example for a recent find producing such high quality classics. The main crystal is like a dark, shiny pearl, aesthetically centered between white quartz needles and a massy black hematite slab. The metallic luster has a red tinge to it, revealed at closer inspection under direct downlight. This is a great hematite specimen that is in overall well condition. Yes, there is a dinge at the main crystal (not as dramatic as it might look at first glance) that drops the price here but if you can live with that, you will be delighted by the excellent aesthetics of this wonderful piece!
Paprok, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
Size: 8.2 x 6.1 x 5 cm
|
||
This tourmaline is embedded in a single translucent quartz crystal of some yellowish color that very much emphasizes the multicolor tourmaline! It is 6 cm long and displays fine color zoning from bottom to top: The lower third is a very dark green or blue. The middle section turns from apple-green to white and pink. Top third is a bright turquois, completely gemmy and almost free of internal cracks. The whole crystal is lustous and charming with a superb pointed termination. There is no damage to be reported. Cracks in the tourmaline are held together by the quartz protects the crystal and keeps it whole. Unusual, distinctive and beautiful as a piece of art!
Mibladen, Midelt, Khenifra Province, Morocco
Size: 16.5 x 13 x 5.2 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
|
|
This piece is really something special for the material that shows brilliant, sharp and gemmy strawberry red crystals with superb luster!
The whole specimen is complete and undamaged with crystals richly distributed about front, back and just everywhere in between!
The matrix is a solid rock that is partly covered in white barite which is a very attractive background for the gemmy vanadinite crystals!
Among the many pieces that have come from the locale in Mibladen in Morocco, this really stands out for its exceptionally high quality and the beautiful aesthetics!
Tormiq valley, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 5 x 2.9 x 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!
This one shows a well defined composition with a dominant main crystal. What appears like a damaged section in the front view is in fact all crystallized and perfect. It's a very attractive specimen with glassy warm brown crystal quality!
Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan , Pakistan
Size: 4.9 x 4.3 x 2.2 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Stak Nala is known for its wonderful and characteristic tourmaline/albite combinations, often composed in sweeping and beautiful ways.
This specimen is a textbook example that has everything right: Two main tourmaline crysals in a distinctive "V"-arrangement are accompanied by bright white albite and a single book of silvery mica. There is no damage or other downsides. The tourmalines are dark forest green to almost black but show a layer of fresh green at the terminations which is rather typical for the locale.
Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Mun. de Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
Size: 16.2 x 9.4 x 6.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
|
|
A large and dominant specimen of adamite on brown limonite gossan matrix that is absolutely rich with sparkling and glassy adamite! There are actually two different types of adamite present. The larger aggregate on the left half consists of tightly packed lime green adamite. A smaller aggregate on the right half shows a darker yellow color that looks incredibly similar to legrandite. As a matter of fact, we bought the piece with a label that says “adamte, legrandite” but which ultimately proved wrong in our examination. The whole specimen is all naturally developed with a crystallized backside. There is some minor damage at the upper part of the lime green adamite but most of which is older, not freshly broken.
Laghman Province, Nuristan , Afghanistan
Size: 7.5 x 2.2 x 1.5 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Pure elegance, combining marvelous colors with beautiful shape and bright luster is the stunning nature of this tourmaline specimen. The termination is nicely modified and offers a great view with mirroring faces and fine structure. The tourmalines color changes from pink to turquoise at the center and back to pink at the termination. It is free of damage with a rehealed bottom. A wonderful and classy piece of remarkable character.
Huanzala Mine, Huallanca, Bolognesi Province, Áncash, Peru
Size: 5.5 x 4.7 x 3.4 cm
Watch Video
|
||
A panel of glassy, sharp and very well developed barite freely protrudes from a small piece of dolomite matrix. The piece has a much more 3-dimensional feeling than the picture would suggest so for a better view I recommend our video! The crystal - or rather the two crystals, as those are in fact two parallel panels - are of best quality, highly lustrous on all sides and with only one rehealed chip at the gap between the crystals. With 4.5 cm length the barite is remarkably large for the locale and dominant on the specimen. Absolultely appealing in person!
Felbertal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 13.6 x 8.2 x 3.9 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
|
|
The composition of this titanite/quartz combination is a marvelous example of a complex matrix specimen. The whole piece is rather two-dimensional which is unusual especially as both front and backside are completely covered in feldspar microcrystals. The right side has a layer of metallic sparkling hematite.
The titanite and quartz crystals are arranged along the ridge like the spikes on a dinosaurs back. Gemmy green titanite and colorless glassy quartz are all in flawless condition and brilliant!