Alpine Treasures
Auernig, Mallnitz, Ankogel, Hohe Tauern, Carinthia, Austria
Size: 12.7 x 8 x 5.9 cm
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A characteristic Alpine quartz specimen with sharp prismatic shape and pointed termination. Around the base you find green chlorite, smaller quartz crystals and some feldspar which are typical signs for the Alpine origin. Especially the front of the crystal has some beautiful surface structure and is very much lustrous. The crystal's interior is transparent and colorless. Overall the piece is in very good condition with only a couple small chips. The termination is a bit rough but which is contact induced, no damage. A nice classic quartz specimen of great shape and quality!
Erfurter Steig, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 12 x 3.9 x 3.6 cm
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The shape of this single quartz specimen is a patchwork that tells of its history. At some point in its past it must have broken and reattached in an odd angle. The bottom, but also a large part at the upper half, are contacted but fully re-crystallized. This specimen is in overall very fine condition with only a small ding at the tip. Luster and clarity are both very good.
Erfurter Steig, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 11.3 x 6.2 x 6.1 cm
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It's a combination of quartz with numerous adularia crystals that completely cover the lower end of the specimen. The main quartz has a visible size of 8.6 x 2.3 cm. At its side you can see two quartz stumps of broken crystals but which are completely re-crystallized with very nice structures. The whole specimen is in very good condition.
Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 4.7 x 3.6 x 1.7 cm
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This epidote from the worlds finest epidote deposit at Knappenwand shows great forest green color with the characteristic color-change to brown at the right angle. Due to the chaotic arrangement of crystals you in fact always see a mix of green and brown which is quite charming in person! All crystals are lustrous, sharp, well terminated and gemmy which is especially well visible at the larger 0.6 cm thick crystal. This piece is in very good condition all around with only one broken smaller crystal. A typical Knappenwand epidote of great Alpine elegance!
NEAT Tunnel, Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino, Switzerland
Size: 14.7 x 9.1 x 4.9 cm
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While gypsum is not per se a rare mineral I can honestly say that this is the best and most dramatic specimen I have seen coming from the swiss Alps. We received this piece labeled as "mica" but analysis conclusively revealed it to be gypsum.
The crystal is colorless and transparent with a rather distinct architecture. The backside has some rock and is generally more irregular, displaying the layered character of the material.
The whole thing is in great condition. A crack at the front got stabilized but you can see it doesn't run through. A marvelous and totally unique specimen from the very depths of the Swiss mountains!
Erfurter Steig, Rauris, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 14 x 10.7 x 11.3 cm
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One single quartz crystal stands out from a complex matrix of glassy quartz crystals, white adularia and some brown limonite. The main crystal is perfectly flawless and of very good quality. The matrix is mostly unharmed too but right beside the main quartz there is a rough zone which is partly due to contact, partly damaged. A rewarding Alpine specimen if you can live with some imperfection!
Styrian Erzberg, Eisenerz, Styria, Austria
Size: 21 x 17 x 12 cm
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This is a massive specimen that combines a brown rock matrix with white curls of aragonite. It is not a piece of distinctive individual crystals but rather a characteristic locality specimen with great showcase presence due to its dominant size and the well emphasized contrast. Naturaly there are many broken curls here which is unavoidable on a large specimen like this.
Mont Blanc Massif, Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, Rhone-Alpes, France
Size: 5 x 4.5 x 1.7 cm
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A single crystal smoky quartz gwindel with not the smalles chip or abrasion anywhere. The gwindel rather typical in shape with a good 20° twist. Some chloritization is present on all faces but still the crystal maintains a certain amount of luster and clarity - also the interior is free of inclusions or cracks. The bottom, where it detached from the matrix, is re-crystallized and perfect. A nice single crystal specimen from the French Alps!
Amertal, Felbertal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 10 x 9 x 5.5 cm
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With the shape of a mountain and the elegance of pure colorless ice this skeletal quartz is one of a kind of this rare material! The dissolving process on this specimen is very extensive and makes it next to impossible to guess the original crystals shape. Water-clear interior, covered by a breathtakingly rich and beautiful surface. With no noteworthy damage or abrasions this is a dramatic piece for any Alpine or quartz collection!
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White stocky quartz crystals are clustered to form this sparkling floater specimen. The quartz is mostly glassy and transparent with superb luster and very little edgewear. The bottom side is equally nice with smaller crystals but therefor additional white adularia, tiny hematite and even at some spots some titanite, which is a totally characteristic association for the locale. Elegant and appealing in person!
Leckbachrinne, Habachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 15.1 x 6.4 x 2.8 cm
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This is a characteristic specimen from Habach valley that features a single 3.2 cm emerald crystal that's embedded in a silvery schist matrix. The emerald shows intensive and gemmy green color that only needs very little light to emerge from between the silvery glistening mica! Size and quality of this crystal are quite amazing!
Camissinone Mine, Zogno, Brembana Valley, Bergamo Province, Lombardy, Italy
Size: 6.5 x 5.2 x 5.5 cm
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A glassy floater specimen of etched fluorite from Italy. The surface is frosted but smooth enough to let you see inside the clear crystal. It is free of any damage and shows a greenish tinge but with a purple zone right in the middle! Very 3-dimensional and appealing in person!