International Minerals 51
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A brilliant classic tourmaline from Minas Gerais that is exceptionally glassy and brilliant! The colorplay is something amazing as well. There is rare orange at the lower half that gives way to yellow and green towards the termination. The termination itself is complex and pointed, although somewhat rounded due to etching and erosion. The whole specimen has a somewhat weathered look but which does not distract from the high quality and beauty of it! There are some small abrasions present but no repairs or fills. A dramatic specimen with an impressive visual impact!
Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 14.2 x 6.6 x 4.5 cm
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This stunning specimen was part of a small find of skeletal quartz crystals in 2023 and it is by far the best of the lot! With a size of 14.2 cm and water-clear quality it has a splendid showcase presence! The quartz is complete and undamaged and shows vibrant luster all around. The etched surface has a beautiful structure. You can still identify the original hexagonal prismatic shape but it is heavily dissolved on all sides which looks just spectacular! The inside is completely limpid like spring water!
Erongo Mts., Karibib Constituency, Namibia
Size: 6 x 5.6 x 3.3 cm
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This fluorite strikes with intensive emerald-green color and a dominant elongated main crystal.
The whole piece is in fact a massive fluorite cluster with a very well developed individual crystal in best condition at the top.
What is extremely attractive is the striking color of the fluorites.
The core is of the most intensive and beautiful green, towards the outside there is a colorless zone which encases the green like glass around a green liquid.
Absolutely beautiful in person!
The fluorite is well developed, lustrous, nicely structured and transparent.
Killa Saifullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan
Size: 9.8 x 5.5 x 2.8 cm
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Most striking about this unusual brucite is the unique shape that instantaneously reminds me of a well crafted, elegant tobacco pipe.
It is a piece of pure brucite with only residual rock matrix at the backside. All the rest is just shiny, well crystallized and intensively yellow brucite!
In fact the color is quite amazing. Many specimens have a much paler yellow to almost white but this one shows quite the color you would be looking for in this fine material!
However you turn this piece you can’t find any damage. Everything is perfectly crystallized, right up to the small extensions at the top (the “mouthpiece”, if you follow my picture of a pipe).
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Three characteristic prase crystals are nicely arranged with some hematite attached to the leftmost crystal. At first glance that crystal might look damaged but in fact that’s just because of the intergrown hematite which caused the growth irregularity. The quartz itself is completely undamaged. The hematite at the very left is a half developed iron rose. But also this is not broken but covered in some iron oxide. It's all natural and fine.
Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 5.2 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm
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This piece has a very well defined composition. A 4.4 cm long main aquamarine is running through a piece of nicely crystallized white feldspar with some addition of mica and beryl micro-crystals.
The aqua is doubly terminated, glass and with a lovely blue color.
There is a second, thinner crystal at the back which is a bit longer and thus stands out at the top. This is also well terminated.
Only at the back of the aquamarine there is a damage where a third crystal used to be. This damage is not visible from the front though.
Aesthetics and quality are really excellent here!
San Martin Mine, Chiurucu, Huallanca District, Bolognesi Province, Peru
Size: 4.8 x 3.1 x 3 cm
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The piece is from the famous find in 1991, which arguably yielded the best rhodonite specimens of Peru. We got the specimens from the private collection of Helmut Brückner in Germany, a label is included with the piece. It has a total size of 4.8 cm with individual crystal up to 2.2 cm. It is a complex and most attractive cluster of bladed rhodonite with small sphalerite and calcite in between that is in surprisingly well condition. Brilliant crystal quality is what makes this specimen impressive and exceedingly rare!
Skardu District, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Size: 6.1 x 4.6 x 2.8 cm
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This hematite from the Alpine type clefts of Pakistan shows a single well defined aggregate, studded with rich rutile crystals. The hematite is set on a well crystallised cluster of scalenohedral calcite with chlorite. The backside is an equally nice wonderland of hematite, rutile, muscovite and calcite, fully crystallised and flawless. A lovely floater specimen of distinctive Alpine character.
Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
Size: 3.5 x 3.2 x 2.9 cm
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This lovely fluorite is a complex single crystal specimen with only some residual matrix at the back. Otherwiese it's only pure fluorite. It shows strikingly intensive green color, it is transparent and really well developed with a distinctive shape and nice surface structure. An exceptionally fine crystal in superb condition.
Himalaya Mine, Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA
Size: 5.6 x 3.3 x 2.5 cm
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This Himalaya Mine tourmaline is absolutely wonderful in quality and aesthetics! The lovely pink color easily shines even at low illumination and rewards direct backlight with a sheer explosion of pink! The crystal is doubly terminated, translucent, lustrous and in very best condition with no repairs or restorations. It is accompanied by some lepidolite, encrusted in brownish rock matrix. This adds a natural look to the otherwise free elbaite crystal. It is a historic specimen with several collection tags at the backside and a label from the collection of Wilhelm Niemeth, Vienna.
Pampa Blanca, Huancavelica Department, Peru
Size: 6.8 x 4.5 x 4.1 cm
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It's an utterly stunning and attractive Japan-law twin quartz of pure aesthetic perfection!
A single 3.8 cm broad milky white japan-law twin crystal of precise symmetry is set on a well crystallized matrix that is a mix of grey rock and white prismatic quartz crysals.
The main twin is held in place by a second japan-law twin at the backside.
From the front however it looks really free and well shaped right to the bottom. A perfect heart!
This is without doubt a superb specimen that is even better in person!
Berbes Mining area, Ribadesella, Asturias, Spain
Size: 9.3 x 7 x 5.6 cm
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This piece shows really exceptionally fine quality and rich purple color through and through. The largest fluorite reaches 2.1 cm on edge and shows a compelling crystal development. We have seen many pieces from this locale but rarely any with such brilliant luster, clarity and strong purple color! Also the condition is really outstanding. I can see one single small chip on a side-crystal, the rest is flawless. Even the matrix ist mostly not broken but crystallized with fluorite and quartz microcrystals. It’s really a stunningly beautiful specimen in person!