International Minerals 48
Pyingyi Taung, Male, Singu Township, Pyin-Oo-Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
Size: 4.6 x 3 x 2.7 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The color in the picture are not even slightly exaggerated! Bright cherry red with pristine luster on all sides!
The terminations are sharp and very well defined, The crystals are all gemmy with a dark green to yellow core!
The most unusual and exceptional aspect of this specimen are surely the incredbly well defined, manyfaced terminations!
It looks almost unreal, like machine-made perfection and symmetry. All terminal faces show the same sharp bevels that are mirroring like shiny red disco balls! Absolutely amazing in person!
I also very much enjoy the aesthetics of this lovely specimen. The sparkling main crystal sits well centered amidst a group of smaller rubellite crystals. Especially attractive is the side crystal to the right which shows highest quality and the same striking crystal habit as the larger and more massive main crystal.
Other side crystals have flat terminations but with mirroring surface and a completely gemmy core!
There is some contact at the backside but no damage of any kind! All crystals are in best condition without even the smallest abrasions!
This is without doubt a capturing, highly attractive tourmaline specimen of unique appearance!
Fazenda do Centro, Castelo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
Size: 12 x 8 x 4.2 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This etched topaz comes from the staggering 2017 find near a farm in Fazenda do Centro. The exceptional and rather spectacular pocket yielded a number of skeletal topaz that are absolutely unique in the world! The floater crystals are of unusual shape due to heavy 3-dimensional etchings and razor-sharp etches!
This topaz is in very good condition with only a minor damage that is visible only from the backside.
It is completely glassy and has a sweeping shape like a flame and a lovely surface structure all around. Very attractive in person!
Bensafe mine, Shigar valley, Skardu, Pakistan
Size: 11.5 x 8.9 x 8.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This tremedous topaz specimen is from a 2021 find at the new Bensafe mine in Shigar valley.
It is a phenomenal honey-orange specimen that shows this totally gorgeous quality!
The single topaz is 8 cm long and 4.4 cm broad! It shows incredible luster and gemminess, it is flawless and very well developed with a characteristic topaz shape and some very nice surface structure!
The color is absolutely stunning too. Especially if you add some warm light it glows in a stunning golden orange!
The crystal is set on a snow-white albite matrix that is all very nicely crystallized and has some small green fluorite here and there.
This is without doubt a brilliant specimen of highest crystal quality and dramatic size!
Milpillas Mine, Cuitaca, Mun. de Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico
Size: 9.5 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
A really beautiful piece is this pseudomorphosis from malachite to azurite. The azurite has been 100% replaced by malachite. Due to its velvety surface, malachite shimmers magnificently in different shades of green! The crystals are in perfect condition, only on the sides there are contact zones. The underside is also completely crystallized. A truly uniquely beautiful piece of pure malachite from the famous site, the Milpillas Mine. The piece comes with a label from "Miner's Lunchbox" in Nevada, as well as a label from London collector David Lucas.
Golconda Mine, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Size: 5.3 x 3.5 x 3.1 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The main bertrandite crystal on this fine specimen is 3.9 cm long, shows excellent quality and is completely undamaged.
The surface is of scaly complexity with a pearlescent sheen.
Very nicely and aesthetically arranged.
Bertrandite is a beryllium hydroxide that is commonly found in beryllium rich pegmatites.
But however common the material might be, it is extremely hard to find in a nice crystallized shape.
The Golconda mine is the only known source for Brazilian bertrandite. First finds were reported in 1992 but have bee scarce ever since. This specimen is from a new find and it is quite lovely in person!
Antetezambato, Ambanha District, Diana Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar
Size: 7.8 x 7.1 x 2.3 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
This excellent demantoid specimen dispays fabulous green color, bright gemminess and splendid luster! The matrix here is really beautiful and nicely crystallized by a mix of white and greenish microcrystals. The largest garnet has a size of 1.5 cm which is not only good for the locale but for dematoid in general. Grouped together, the garnets are prominently set on the matrix which has a nice overall size to emphasize the main crystals. All in perfect condition, appealing aesthetics and really just striking crystal quality!
Dassu, Braldu Valley, Shigar District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 6.7 x 6.3 x 5.5 cm
Watch Video
|
|
|
A singel very well defined and near flawless topaz crystal is embedded between several quartz crystals which again are set on a matrix of white cleavelandite. The crystal is transparent with a champagne colored tinge. It has well cut bevels on all sides. Only on the base, where a quartz is slightly damaged, there is a bit of contact. All the termination however is perfect and beautiful.
Tormiq valley, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Size: 4.5 x 4.3 x 2.2 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This highly attractive titanite specimen features a 2.2 cm main crystal. The single titanite twin has nice apple green color and great luster, especially on the front. It is set on a white calcite matrix which provides a starkly contrasting background! The overall condition is very good. The main crystal had to be reattached after it went off but you can’t see that. Apart from that it is in very nice condition and of lovely quality!
Boekenhoutshoek area, Nkangala District, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Size: 12 x 8.2 x 6.5 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The cactus-quartz from Boekenhoutshoek are classics from over 20 years ago that stand out for their unusual shape and intensive color! The prismatic amethysts are overgrown by a second generation of short pointed crystals which generates the unique catcus-look. While most specimens from this site are rather pale, it is amazing to see how deep and strong the purple color can get! Superb luster and a very attractive aesthetics make this a terrific specimen in best condition!
Alpinus Mine, Rubelita, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Size: 6.1 x 3 x 1.7 cm
Watch Video
|
||
The doubly terminated tourmaline crystal is set on a small piece of white quartz which looks just lovely in person! It has exceptionally fine quality and a beautiful color zonation that goes from blue near the quartz to green with a pink core. The whole specimen is in very best condition with only one single restoration but no chips or abrasions. Have a look on our video for a better impression on the high quality of this tourmaline!
Tormiq valley, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan
Size: 5.3 x 3.1 x 2.3 cm
Watch Video
|
||
Quality and aesthetics of this stunning titanite on calcite are really just top-notch! The piece has a total size of 5.3 cm with a meaty 1.8 x 1.7 x 0,75 cm main crystal of spectacular quality! The main titanite is absolutely amazing and 100 % perfect! It is a sharp and gemmy twin crystal of striking apple green color that doesn’t need any backlight to totally shine! This brilliant crystal is set on a beautiful calcite matrix that proviced a perfect contrast and has a nice boat-like shape which makes this specimen unique and strikingly beautiful!
Hyderabad District, Telangana, India
Size: 7 x 6.2 x 5.5 cm
Watch Video
|
||
This specimen from the spectacular finds near the city of Hyderabad strikes with unusually distinctive and color intensive hematite phantoms! Especially the larger main crystals are glassy and lustrous and in fantastic condition. Some of the smaller quartz show some peripheral damage but the main crown is intact and quite amazing! It is an exceptionally fine piece of superb quality!