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 Amesite (chromian) Specimen #am.ru.1.okm Saranovskoye Mine Gorozavodskii area Urals Region Permskaya Oblast Russia 10.4 x 6.3 x 4.3cm Cabinet Rare Specimen $295 This specimen consists of numerous hexagonal, tabular or columnar crystals of lilac colored chromian amesite on snow white calcite and matrix. Amesite is a rare kaolinite-serpentine group silicate mineral. Chromian amesite is even rarer. The xls average 5-7mm in length. There are also a few small clusters of an unidentified bright green mineral found on this specimen. It could possibly be grossular, but I cannot either confirm or deny it. There is a crack running through the specimen but it is stable. Very nice and rare specimen from the Mother Country!  |
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 Beryl var. Aquamarine Specimen #brl.pk.1.utvt Baha Braidu Valley Skardu District Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan 3.8 x 2.0 x 1.8cm Miniature ex Bill and Carol Smith Collection $349 This specimen consists of a singly terminated and quite gemmy aquamarine xl resting on a bed of quartz and albite var. cleavelandite. The termination is nearly perfect and clearly displays beryl's hexagonal crystallography. I would best describe the color as either gemmy blue or something akin to baby blue. Other than several small contact points, this specimen is intact and is an excellent display piece to my mind. |
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Calcite on Galena and Quartz Specimen #crn,qtz,gn.bg.1.sc Mogila Mine Deveti Septemvri Complex Madan District Southern Rhodope Mountains Bulgaria 8.4 x 3.8 x 3.8cm Small Cabinet Mined in 1983 $149 This specimen consists of what I would best describe as flattened platelets or aggregates of pale yellow calcite xls. They are mostly intact with a few small dings. There are also numerous quartz clusters scattered about the piece. Lastly, there are numerous lustrous galena xls to 1.1cm providing a nice metallic accent. We were both instantly drawn to this specimen when we opened the box that it was in. In my opinion, this is one cool rock! |
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Charoite Specimen #char.ru.1.wm Murun Siberia Russia 8.4 x 7.5 x 0.5cm Small Cabinet Fluorescent Type Locality $50 Charoite gets its name from the river Chara, in Siberia. Charoite is an unusual mineral of rare occurrence and is found to date in only this one location. It formed from alteration of limestone by the close presence of an alkali-rich nephline syenite intrusion. The heat, pressure and more importantly, the infusion of unique chemicals into the rock are responsible for the transformations into new minerals such as charoite. Why charoite has not been found in other locations is not fully understood. But it is probably due to a combination of a chemically unique limestone reacting with a chemically unique intrusion and subjected to unique physical conditions. This is a sawn and polished (one side) piece of charoite that I picked up from Russian dealer Gennady Skublov in Tucson. Besides charoite, it contains steacyite, tinaksite and titanite. It is fluorescent under SW UV light. No damage. |
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Garnet var. Demantoid Specimen #grt.mg.2.cit Ambanja Antetezambato Madagascar 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0cm Thumbnail Gem Crystal $95 Discovered first by crab fishermen amongst a mangrove forest in Northern Madagascar, these Demantoid xls are claimed to be part of the most noteworthy and exciting discoveries of 2009. 20 to 40 foot pits are dug to reach the crystals. These pits flood each high tide, making it a difficult prospect. Most come out as loose crystals and only a few reach the surface on matrix. These matrix specimens are rarely more than 1-2 inches. There has been no new material out of this location since Oct. 2009. This specimen consists of a cluster of gemmy candy apple green demantoid xls to 8mm encased in what appears to be a sand matrix . No damage at all to the display side (some small edge dings) of this attractive piece. Enjoy! |
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 Garnet var. Demantoid Specimen #grt.mg.3.dsc Ambanja Antetezambato Madagascar 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0cm Thumbnail Gem Crystal Discovered first by crab fishermen amongst a mangrove forest in Northern Madagascar, these Demantoid xls are claimed to be part of the most noteworthy and exciting discoveries of 2009. 20 to 40 foot pits are dug to reach the crystals. These pits flood each high tide, making it a difficult prospect. Most come out as loose crystals and only a few reach the surface on matrix. These matrix specimens are rarely more than 1-2 inches. There has been no new material out of this location since Oct. 2009. This specimen consists of a cluster of gemmy candy apple green demantoid xls to 9mm encased in what appears to be a sand matrix. No damage at all to the display side (some small edge dings) of this attractive piece. Enjoy! |
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Descloizite on Vanadinite Specimen #dz,van.us.1.uga Commercial Mine Georgetown Grant County New Mexico 2.2 x 2.2 x 0.9cm Thumbnail $75 This specimen consists of matrix that has been coated by lustrous, reddish brown micro vanadinite xls. Subsequent to the deposition of the vanadinite xls are a generation of battleship gray Descloizite xls. The individual descloizite xls remind me of striated seed pods. No damage to this unique specimen. |
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Fluorite on Quartz Specimen #fl,qtz.cn.1.pnt Henan Province China 6.5 x 3.5 x 2.4cm Small Cabinet This specimen consists of matrix that displays numerous micro quartz xls along with a multitude of colorless to pale purple fluorite xls. Found on top of these species are botryoidal to spherical golden yellow fluorite xls. Botryoidal fluorite is a rarity in the mineral world and the spherical form, even rarer. I really like this specimen as the yellow color it displays is unique and quite rare from this locale. There are only a few trivial peripheral dings found on this piece. Enjoy! |
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Goethite on Microcline Specimen #gt,mc.us.1.bst Crystal Peak area Park/Teller Counties Colorado 4.2 x 3.6 x 3.0cm Miniature ex Don Belsher Collection Fluorescent $95 This specimen consists of off white to snow white microcline that displays a "mushroom cap" of silvery to jet black cluster of metallic goethite xls. The radiating cluster is made up of acicular xls and the cluster is intact and quite showy. On the back side of this specimen there was once another cluster which has been either cleaved or removed (see fluorescent photo). The microcline glows bright pinkish red under SW UV light. |
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Grossular var. Tsavorite Specimen #grs.tz.1.jct Merelani Hills Arusha Region Tanzania Africa 1.1 x 1.0 x 0.8cm Thumbnail $59 This specimens consists of green chromian, vanadian Grossular var. Tsavorite xls. There are two joined xls with a bit of a metallic mineral found in-between them. It looks like galena to me, but I cannot find a reference to this species being found in this locale. A few trivial dings only visible under magnification. |
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Hemimorphite Specimen #hm.cd.1.utt Kipushi Mine Lubumbashi Shaba Democratic Republic of Congo 5.1 x 4.2 x 3.7cm Small Cabinet This specimen consists of a conglomeration of neon (icee) blue botryoidal hemimorphite xls. I love the color of this piece as it is unique and quite showy. A few trivial dings, only visible under magnification. Comes mounted on a clear acrylic base. |
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Levyne Specimen #lv.us.1.sdg Beech Creek Quarry Mount Vernon Grant County Oregon 5.7x5.1x2.6 cm Small Cabinet ex Kent England Collection $85 I had the pleasure of working on the Malheur National Forest last year on a temporary assignment and was told about this site by several people. It is located near Mount Vernon which is eight miles west of John Day. This specimen displays a pocket or open basalt vug that is lined with thin white, hexagonal and tabular levyne crystals arranged in sheaf like aggregates. There may be some "dinged" xls, but to me, they all look intact. An unusual and attractive specimen! |
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Mimetite and Calcite Specimen #mim.mx.1.gls Potosi Mine Santa Eulalia Chihuahua Mexico 10.0x7.1x3.9 cm Cabinet $239 While scouring the Hotel Tucson (Inn Suites) for specimens this year, we visited John & Maryanne Fender (Fender Natural Resources) where we obtained this beauty. It's comprised of numerous butterscotch colored mimetite xls that take the shape of broccoli stalks. There are also a number of off white calcite xls scattered about the specimen. Their are some cleaved xls, but they were the smaller ones nestled down amongst the larger xls thus not detracting from the display-ability of this specimen, in my humble opinion. Cool rock! |
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