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 Amazonite with Columbite Specimen #Denver01 Crystal Park El Paso County Colorado 6.5 x 4.8 x 3.7cm Small Cabinet Ex Frank G. Knaus Collection $75 This years theme of the Denver show was Minerals from Colorado. To kick off our Denver specimen update, we bring you a colorful and showy Amazonite specimen from Colorado. We saw many an amazonite specimen while in Denver, and this one caught our eye as it has an interesting story behind it. I found it at Dave Bunks and while examining it closely with my loop, I found something rather interesting on this piece. While looking into a small vug, I found what looks like a small copper or possibly silver wire. See photo below. I had one of Dave's folks look at it under their microscope and he could not identify what the wire is made of. I've tried to shake the specimen gently to see if the wire would fall out, and it hasn't. Another customer who was shopping at Dave's while I was there, thought it might be part of a tree root. This is a possibility, but as a forester, it does not look like a tree root to me, so the mystery exists. This specimen consists of a number of turquoise blue amazonite xls, a small xl of colombite and a number of small smoky quartz xls all on matrix. No damage. It comes with Mr. Knaus's personal collection card and was field collected by him in 2002. Comes mounted on a clear acrylic base.  |
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Uruguayan Quartz var Amethyst with stand Specimen #Denver02 Uruguay 10.8 x 8.1 x 5.0cm Cabinet $95 While combing the halls of the Denver show this year, we came across a dealer that was selling Uruguayan Amethyst specimens that were mounted on custom made polished mahogany stands. This specimen consists of an opened vug of inky purple quartz var amethyst xls to 1.5cm. In my opinion, Uruguayan amethyst displays the deepest, darkest purple of all of the South American countries producing amethyst specimens. There is some minor abrasion to the xls found along the outside edge of this specimen, while the internal xls are intact. Comes with it's own custom made mahogany base. Please note: I measured the dimensions of this specimen without the base. |
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Fluorite, Amethyst and Barite Specimen #Denver03 Amethyst Queen Claim Copper Creek District Unaweep Canyon Mesa County Colorado 6.3 x 5.8 x 2.6cm Small Cabinet $125 This is a first for me. When I came across this specimen, I was instantly intrigued, as I have not come across this combination of mineral species before. It starts with a "base" of dark green botryoidal fluorite xls. Next, is another coating of minute blue green cubic fluorite xls that mimic the botryoidal shape of the previous generation. On top of that comes a generation of quartz var amethyst xls to 3mm. Finishing off this specimen are pale white barite xls that scattered all over the top of it. A unique and attractive mineral specimen with no damage. |
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Beryl var Emerald Specimen #Denver04 Chivor Mine Chivor Boyaca Department Colombia 8.2 x 5.5 x 2.5cm Small Cabinet Here's an attractive emerald specimen from Colombia. It consists of numerous partial to full xls (to 1cm) scattered over a base of what appear to be dolomite xls on matrix. Nice rock! |
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Calcite and Sphalerite on Chert Specimen #Denver05 Tri-State District Jasper County Missouri 5.2 x 3.5 x 2.4cm Small Cabinet $65 This is one cool rock. The more I look at it, the more I like it. It's comprised of a number of pale yellow calcite xls (to 2.3cm) that display a rather interesting "stacked pyramidal" crystalline structure. There are three major xls and they are all terminated and intact. They are perched on a bed of sphalerite xls, some gemmy and a bit of chert. This piece is better in person as my humble photos don't do it justice. |
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Calcite Specimen #Denver06 Daye County Huangshi Prefecture Hubei Province China 4.3 x 4.1 x 3.5cm Miniature This is one interesting rock. It's a solid mass of stepped calcite xls that vary in color from water clear to an included reddish brown color. The specimen exhibits a unique and intricate stair step pattern. Only a few trivial dings around the periphery of this specimen. |
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Dioptase Specimen #Denver07 Christmas Mine near Hayden Gila County Arizona 5.5 x 3.9 x 1.8cm Small Cabinet $95 This specimen consists of a piece of matrix that is covered by a mass of emerald green dioptase xls (to 1mm) that are very gemmy and brightly colored. They sit on top of a bed of frosty white quartz xls. A very nice and showy specimen indeed! |
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Fluorite Specimen #Denver08 Xiefang Mine Ruijin County Jiangxi Prefecture China 11.5 x 10.5 x 3.7cm Cabinet $295 Over the past several years, Collectors Edge has been importing many a fluorite specimen that has been etched out from quartz xls. Here is an example of the same type of material, but this specimen has not been etched according to Graham Sutton. It consists of a mass of cubic sea foam green fluorite xls to 1.1cm. Some of the xls display a bit of purple phantoming as well. I tried to show off the complicated nature of this specimen in my photographs, but this piece is much better in person, in my opinion. It is intact and virtually damage free. Enjoy! |
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Fluorite Specimen #Denver09 Tongbai Mine Nanyang Prefecture Henan Province China 6.7 x 6.5 x 4.5cm Small Cabinet New Find $175 While visiting Collector's Edge at this years Denver show, Graham Sutton showed us a new find of fluorite that they had discovered in recent mining operations in China. The fluorite is botryoidal in form and is covered by chalcedony, which Collector's Edge has found a way to remove, exposing the fluorite. The color of the fluorite is about as purple as I have ever seen. This specimen consists of two interconnected dark purple botryoidal masses (6.8 x 3.7cm) perched on matrix. These specimens remind me somewhat of the sunny side egg like specimens from India. No damage. |
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Polished Fluorite Slab with Stand Specimen #Denver10 Zhengzhou Henan Province China 16.0 x 8.4 x 1.0cm Cabinet Mildly Fluorescent $95 Collector's Edge continues to come up with unusual and highly collectible specimens from China. This piece was described to me by their Chinese representative as a "Shu Fa Stone". This piece consists of a cut and polished (both sides) slab of light purple fluorite. The fluorite is botryoidal in form, as can be witnessed along the edges of the specimen and is included by a granular matrix. When exposed to SW UV light, this specimen glows a ghostly pale blue color. It comes with a custom made wooden stand that has been numbered 449/1000. Please note: I provided measurements of this specimen excluding the stand. |
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