Alpine Treasures 20
Gamsmutter, Habach Valley, Hohe Tauern, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 4 x 3.4 x 2.1 cm
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A miniature floater specimen of olive-green titanite on a sparkling, crystallized feldspar matrix! The largest main crystal, protruding from the very center of the matrix, is a little over 2 cm long, gemmy, lustrous and with a nice green to brown coloring. It has a 1 mm ding on the back but apart from this, the specimen is in absolutely best condition! A lovely little stunner from Habach Valley!
Wiesbachrinne, Habachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 8.7 x 8.3 x 7.3 cm
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One single smoky quartz crystal of dark brown color stands out from a piece of characteristic Habach Valley schist matrix. It is around 4 x 1.8 x 1.3 cm large and flawless. The crystal is accompanied by several smaller side-crystals of matching quality. Still, the main crystal is the unmistakable center of this specimen and dramatically draws the attention to it! This highly aesthetic specimen is from the famous find from around 1993 by Alois Steiner and Reinhard Heim, the latter of whom just recently sold the piece to us from his private collection! A unique and most attractive piece from this locale!
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This is an outstanding etched quartz specimen with impressive size that shows exceptionally rich structure, color and just beautiful details! The unusual etched shape reveals its secrets when you turn the piece around (go ahead and watch our video for a look on this aspect). You can see on the flat prism faces, that this was once a huge single quartz crystal that only later dissolved to form this remarkable piece! That’s long-age geographic history made visible in one dramatic specimen! The quality is high, showing very good clarity and great luster. Some surface chloritisation at the back radiates dark green color throughout the whole crystal. Absolutely stunning and beautiful in person!
Arvigo, Calanca Valley, Misox, Grischun, Switzerland
Size: 2.7 x 2.1 x 1.3 cm
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A single spray of glassy scolecite needles from the gneiss quarries of Arvigo, one of only a few Alpine sources for this mineral. The crystals are transparent and lustrous and in overall very good condition. The scolecite is associated with some greenish prehnite. A nice and attractive little rarity from the Swiss/Italian border.
Goldbergspitze, Hohe Tauern, Raurisertal, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 11.2 x 7.4 x 6.3 cm
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Every collector of Rauris minerals has the same problem: It's almost impossible to get a good smoky quartz from this region. Especially one that shows such dark brown color as this very specimen we have here! The single dominant smoky quartz is very well developed and clear at the insice - with imperfections and inclusions, but which is acceptable on a rare specimen like this. The surface shows especially nice luster at the front with striations and sharp edges. The termination is flawless and sharp! On the backside there are several intergrown sidy-crystals which show contacts yet fortunately the main view is in very best shape! An outstanding and exceedingly rare specimen from the Rauris valley!
Fibbia, Fontana, Central St. Gotthard Massif, Ticino, Switzerland
Size: 9.6 x 7.5 x 4.3 cm
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This iron-rose cluster is a massy piece of high quality. The roses are neatly structured and hold some rutile at the surface. Despite the very fine structure, those nested roses are very thick and show sparkling luster. At the back and the bottom of the specimen you find some matrix, which nicely adds contrast to the overall beauty. A fine piece of imposing size and top quality alike.
Saurüssel, Zemmgrund, Zillertaler Alpen, Nordtirol, Austria
Size: 11.2 x 7.7 x 5.5 cm
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Several quartz crystals of varied size with beautiful inclusions on a contrasting white feldspar matrix form a very natural and attractive specimen. Micro-crystals of ankerite, hematite and rutile add even more color and live to this impressive specimen. The whole piece is free of damage the matrix is all naturally broken. 3-dimensionally appealing in person!
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Wow, what an exceptionally fine piece from the Koralpe area! The piece shows a sharp and dominant 4 cm main crystal that's all flawless, transparent and with good luster! I especially love the well balanced aesthetics of the freely protruding main crystal on matrix, accompanied by several smoky quartz side-crystals and some white feldspar. This is without question one of the very best smoky quartz specimens ever found in this area!
Valsertal, Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
Size: 11 x 8 x 3.5 cm
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Beautiful aesthetics and superb crystal quality are united on this attractive specimen from Valsertal! The doubly terminated main crystal is glassy, sharp and completely flawless. Also the rest of this intriguing floater is in near flawless condition with only one damaged side-crystal that is but rather inconspicuous. This is a real marvel of great aesthetics!
Hüttenberg, St. Veit a.d. Glan, Carinthia, Austria
Size: 7 x 6.1 x 3.9 cm
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Alpine siderite of such dramatic crystallization is quite uncommon, especially in such an attractive assembly! The siderite comes as brown to olive-green, rhombohedral clusters that shine with a silky luster! All is perfectly crystallized and flawless! The siderite is set on a piece of rock-matrix, partly covered in snow-white dolomite which makes for a striking contrast! Here and there you will find some chalcopyrite microcrystals, scattered about the siderite. This is a highly aesthetic piece of impressive crystallization!
Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 6.8 x 1.9 x 1.1 cm
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Thick, lustours and perfectly terminated! The main epidote of this specimen is a sublime crystal indeed! Accompanied by several smaller side-crystal it is a dominant crystal that strikes with its sheer presence! The chisel-tip termination is 1.4 cm broad and completely perfect as is the rest of the crystal. One side-crystal is repaired but which does not impair the beautifully arranged look of this fine specimen! A masterful epidote from the worlds best epidote source!
Fieschergletscher, Berner Alpen, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 8.4 x 4 x 2.6 cm
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Skeletal quartz from the Fiesch Glacier is not exactly common, yet this very specimen is just marvelous! A sculpturesque skeletal quartz, 360° etched and beautiful. The piece is completely water-clear with thousands of sparkling faces and great structure. The quartz itself is lustrous and practially colorless with a very faint smoky tinge. Shaped like a flame, this specimen is highly attractive all around!