A remarkable gem crystal that is even more impressive in person, as the combination of gemminess and ultra high lustre is hard to convey in photos. At 770 grams, and with superb glassy lustre and windowpane-clear gemminess, this fist-sized gem crystal is already fairly worthy of a major collection of trophy gem crystals. It is complete all around, as near pristine as one could wish for, and just sparkles with both external lustre and internal "brightness" to the crystal itself that is so characteristic of the Mogok topazes, and puts them ahead in showiness (to my mind) of comprably sized Pakistani topazes of similar hue. But beyond this sexy exterior, it has a really neat intellectual aspect as well. if you look at the termination, you will see a very unusual pattering, a slight matte or altered surface on part of the face that looks as if it were flat-lapped on with a polisher. This is not the case, and i fact it was to study this peculiar phenomenon in topaz morphology that Dr. Federico Pezzotta of the Museum of Milan travelled here to personally see the deposit when this pocket came out. He suspected that work on these strange differences of topaz surface within a single crystal face here could reveal something more about how the crystals form, and how some topaz has alternating faces of different textures. This is the largest and most dramatic of the specimens from this deposit he tells me that he has seen (and he took it from the mine personally, so we know it has not been tampered with), with the surface effect in question. And it is, on close inspection, a very interesting aberration even i I do not understand the mineralogical science behind it - all set upon a crystal that already is a high level for its species and locale. Joe Budd photos

This mine is now justifiably famous as the most shocking new source of gold specimens in the recent history of US gold mining. Several habits have come out, in bits and bursts over the last 5-6 years now. For me, large crystals have always been the prize. And this piece has among the largest (in size, if not thickness) I have yet seen from the mine. It is a superb, elongated cluster of several large gold crystals to 2 inches in height, melded together by smaller connecting crystals. The piece is composed of flattened , elongated gold crystals to be sure, but is itself not "flat" in person. In fact, it has a concave curve to it and displays very 3-dimensionally and more space-filling than you might think. This was found in about 2007 and has since then been on exhibit, on loan, to a museum for a Gold exhibition. Joe Budd photos

A large, imposing specimen of rich purple color, classic for this old district of English fluorite (actually, iron) mining. Most of these specimens from the Boltsburn are said to date to two spurts of mining in the early and in the late 1800s. Specimens of similar style dated prior to 1860 are well known, and in fact classics of the European museums. The mine was most famous for a particular sort of fluorite - this sort: big, gemmy, lustrous and interpenetrating fluorite crystals of huge size in association with sparkling quartz. It is absolutely indicative of the mine, and of its most famous style. The major crystals reach 9 cm, nearly 4 inches in size. The crystals are not quite pristine, but they are very close and given the age and size I can pardon what are really a few trivial dings only, in context. In fact, given the age and comparing this to other old specimens of big size, its miraculous they are in such superb condition. These pieces also fluoresce an intense, solid purple color under ultraviolet light (in fact it is from specimens of this overall district in England that the very word fluorescence was coined, after fluorite itself). Overall, an important specimen both for district and mine, and for fluorite in general. Weight is 5.5 pounds. Joe Budd photos

Bill Larson mined the Himalaya Mine in its modern era of production, from the late 1970s until early 2000s when he closed it (it remains open under new owners, but the days of heavy drifting and exploration are done). The deposits here were subject to enormous shearing and breaking forces after emplacement, and the pegmatites show this clearly. To mine them, is more difficult than at some other pegmatite localities, as a result. Most larger pieces are also, therefore, found broken in situ. And it follows that most larger specimens from the Himalaya, and from other San Diego mines, are repaired. In all that time, Larson says he can count on two hands the number of large crystals of this size that were found in pristine condition, and on one hand those found without repairs. This is one of those very , very rarified large crystals found pristine in the mine, and not broken in situ or in collecting. Every now and then, I have something that Bill Larson wants from me, and the only solution is an exchange for a stashed piece from his private collection. This giant is 326 grams, and near the top in size for a single crystal from the mine. It is pristine all around and stands beautifully on our custom lucite base. The color is a pure, classic "Himalaya Pink" hue with a slight green zone near the lower termination. The lower termination extends out into multiply formed small points, and the top termination is classic , lustrous, bright and flat as is normal for the mine. Joe Budd photos