International Minerals
Fazenda do Centro, Castelo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Size: 14.7 x 12.3 x 7 cm
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This large and heavy etched topaz is quite dominant with a bright glassy interior! At the base it has an interesting structure that looks as if some thin tabular mineral was grown into the topaz but it might as well be some form of dissolving pattern. The upper two thirds of the crystal are clear and with lovely etchings and beautifully structured surface. On the negative side this piece has a damage on the left side (you can better see that in the video) as well as some abrasions. Despite this issue this is still a very impressive exemplar from this spectacular one-time find!
Tole, Wana, South Waziristan, Pakistan
Size: 8.9 x 7.1 x 3.8 cm
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Brilliant glassy quartz crystals are three-dimensionally arranged along a white thread that runs right through the center from bottom to top. The combination of crystals in different dimensions makes this specimen rich and vibrant all around! The whole speciment is without damage and beautiful on all sides!
Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine, Polkowice County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
Size: 8.5 x 7.7 x 4.7 cm
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Halite, more commonly referred to as rock-salt, is nothing more than crystallized sodium chloride and thus not only brittle but also water-soluble. But this also makes beautifully crystallized and sculpturesque specimens like this rare. According to former owner of the piece, copper mineral collector Thomas Weiland, this specimen comes with inclusions of tolbachite, an extremely rare copper-chloride.
This specimen is in outstanding condition, extremely well crystallized and without any damage.
Berbes Mining area, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain
Size: 12.5 x 8.2 x 4.1 cm
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Beautiful fluorite crystals in combination with well crystals of quartz!
Dara-i-Pech pegmatite field, Chapa Dara District, Kunar, Afghanistan
Size: 11 x 5.3 x 4.9 cm
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The single beryl crystal has a diameter of 5.4 cm, it is transparent and has a highly lustrous front face. The hexagonal shape is very well presented and while there is some contact at the left side, it is otherwise undamaged and quite distinctive. At the core you can see some blueish color but I would call this a goshenite for the lack of intensity. Beneath the beryl is a single quartz which again sits on a piece of feldspar. The specimen is repaired once in the middle, right beneath the main crystal, but this is not visible from the front.
Ras Koh Mts., Kharan, Balochistan, Pakistan
Size: 6.8 x 5.1 x 4.3 cm
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Very well developed "bow tie" habit epidotes are three-dimensionally arranged on a nice contrasting quartz matrix. The individual crystals are in very good shape. Some are contacted but most are perfectly well and undamaged. The quartz matrix is rather unusual for epidotes from this locale and makes this specimen special. The epidotes are opaque but highly lustrous and appealing!
Chia Mine, Sao Jose da Safira, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Size: 7.3 x 4.9 x 4.5 cm
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This very fine tourmaline specimen was part of a new find at the Chia Mine near Sao Jose do Safira.
What’s special here is the exquisite quality and intensive color of the tourmaline! A deep cherry red core is coated by a layer of striking emerald green which defines the color-play of this piece.
Additionally there is pink lepidolite present adding much to the beauty of this specimen!
The overall condition is very good but there are a couple of well done repairs.
A very striking piece in person that offers great quality and nice aesthetics!
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
Size: 6.6 x 3.3 x 2.2 cm
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This is for sure one of the most unusual fluorite specimen I have seen in a while. The twin growth provides a totally unique shape to this high quality specimen. The crystal is completely transparent, showing an intensive purple phantom inside the otherwise colorless body. A vein of yellowish muscovite is cutting through the otherwise smooth crystal leaving a scar at the backside that is interesting and visually appealing alike. Overall this piece is in great condition with only some issues at the lower part and the attached muscovite. Quite exceptional and totally amazing!
Himalaya Mine, Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Size: 6.2 x 1.3 x 0.9 cm
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This one is a very special crystal from the Himalaya Mine that shows best open color! The tourmaline is intensively pink and gemmy with a small smoky quartz side-crystal that provides a great contrast! Fascinating enough this smoky quartz is doubly terminated and all perfect! The tourmaline itself also is in best condition and very well designed with a pointed pyramidal termination, emphasized by a sudden color-change from pink to white. This fine specimen has quite a history as it has been in the collections of Bill Larson and Fabian Wildfang for many years!
Barra do Salinas, Coronel Murta, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Size: 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.3 cm
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This absolutely lovely tourmaline is an aesthetic combination of one pink single crystal with some lepidolite at both sides. The crystal is gemmy and shows intensive color. An amazing and very much unusual aspect is the termination which shows an intriguing and highly lustrous structure. It might look broken at first glance but it isn't as you can definitely tell at closer sight where you can see distinctive triangular shapes. Also the fact that the color changes to blue right at the termination is a clue that this is all natural and flawless. Very attractive in person!
Kamariza Mines, Agios Konstantinos, Lavrion District, Attika Prefecture, Greece
Size: 21.5 x 13 x 11 cm
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The organic shape of a coral makes this large aragonite specimen alive! You can see two different crystal shapes - a fragile spiky structure is grown on the more rounded main branches - all of which are in flawless condition and in sweeping shape all around! This piece was found in 1985 as a small label on the backside indicates. A beautiful and disctinctively three-dimensional specimen from the historic mining area Lavrion.
Itauz Mine, Zhilandy group, Satpayev, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan
Size: 9.7 x 6.5 x 2.2 cm
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The unusual aesthetics of this specimen reminds me of a leaf that got caught on a rocky cliff. The thin arboresque copper is exceptionally well formed, shows a reddish coppery color and no damage.
Ex Thomas Weiland collection.