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over 70 new worldwide mineral specimens New Finds & Old classics!
J12-427 - Tourmaline with Lepidolite - $ 4500 Tourmaline Queen Mine, Pala, California, USA miniature, 4.7 x 4.0 x 2.7 cm ex. Harvard University
A stunning specimen of intense hot pink color, from very old workings here. Such material as this was once mined in the turn of the 1900s, and shipped off to China for carving into snuff bottles and figurines. Very seldom do we see fine crystals of this ultra-hot-pink color saturation turn up again on the market, and then only out of old collections or museum deaccessions. This is from the old A.C. Burrage collection which was famously given to Harvard after his death in 1931, thus also dating the piece to that early mining era in San Diego. Albert C. Burrage of Boston, Massachusetts, was involved in the modernization of the Chuquicamata mine in chile, in 1911. Most of his collection remains in Harvard's Musuem to this day, save only a few deaccessions over the years. The color here stands above and apart from any other pink tourmaline you may have seen from other mines, and it really just jumps out when lit in a case. This piece is not pristine, but is close to it - a few small bits of edge wear atop are, given the age, permissible i think. The bottom is very nicely polished to a high lustre, and the piece was probably displayed with the bottom side up at one time (it would not have bothered many collectors of the past to see a polished top). A true historic piece, but with modern display aesthetics, this is a classic old tourmaline from the San Diego region. The photos shown here are taken with only moderate, not strong, backlighting. Joe Budd photos.
J12-428 - Grossular Garnet - $ 950 Sierra de los Cruces, Lake Jaco Locality, Coahuila, Mexico small cabinet, 5.7 x 3.5 x 3.4 cm ex. David Stoudt
A 3-cm-across, sharp, dramatic, textbook crystal of wine-red garnet sits here on a well trimmed matrix. This is an old and rare style, for the locality, quite different from the generally matte finish crystals you usually see from here in a variety of browns and orange colors (and, from one large find of the past, in pink). The crystal is well excavated without any repairs, and is nearly pristine (just the tiniest little dings are present, in context on such a sharp, exposed crystal). The piece is a significant Mexican garnet specimen and has the aesthetics you would want in garnet from other lcoalities, but seldom see in the lumpy matrix characteristic of this particular location. ex. Dave Stoudt Mexico Collection, and previously in the Evan Jones Mexico Collection (both being very notable for the suites assembled). Joe Budd photos.
J12-429 - Phenakite on calcite - $ 2500 Imalo, Mania River, Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar small cabinet, 5.6 x 5.3 x 3.7 cm
This unusual, elongated and pointed-tipped crystal of phenakite is from a small find made in about 2004, which was brought out by Italian dealers and experts in Madagascar minerals, Emanuele Marini and Federico Pezzotta. It was at the time, the best matrix example from the pocket, which they had for sale. To this day, despite finds of the mineral at other localities, i have never seen another quite like this. The crystal is actually doubly-terminated, and is 5 cm long. It is not repaired, and was expertly exposed in this matrix of calcite. Joe Budd photos.
J12-430 - Adamite var. Manganoan - $ 3000 SOLD Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 6.7 x 4.1 x 3.0 cm
A stunning specimen with the most intense purple color saturation you could ever want, from the famous find sof the early 1980s. So few of these ever come to market any more, and most are pale compared to these intense violet tips. The crystals are small, but there are a lot of them combining to make a gorgeous presentation display face. An important Mexican specimen for most collectors, and hard to obtain at a time when most of these that turn up, are selling in the five figure range (and higher). Joe Budd photos.
J12-431 - Halite - $ 500 Intrepid Potash East Mine, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA small cabinet, 7.5 x 6.0 x 3.9 cm
A large and relatively complete crystal of blue halite from this old, classic locale, showing deep color and unusually good size for here. I think all faces certainly are legitimate and show the slight imperfections you would expect of natural cubic faces, including a few small dings; and the piece is then complete all around except the backside. Joe Budd photos. Note added From the CalTech website courtesy Dr. George Rossman: http://minerals.caltech.edu: Blue halite is the result of exposure to natural radiation. Initially, if halite (common salt) is exposed to gamma radiation, it turns amber because of F-centers. They are mostly electrons trapped at sites of missing Cl- ions. In time the electrons migrate to Na+ ions and reduce it to Na metal. Atoms of Na metal, in turn, migrate to form colloidal sized aggregrates of sodium metal. They are the cause of the blue color.
J12-432 - Fluorite (phantoms) - $ 1500 Erongo Mountain, Usakos and Omaruru Districts, Erongo Region, Namibia cabinet, 10.6 x 5.5 x 5.0 cm
Found in about 2008, these so-called "alien phantoms" fluorite crystals made a big impact on the market. Only a few small pockets were found, and then the style has not been seen since. This is a cluster of very translucent, sharp crystals that show dramatic purple phantoms in the corners of a richly saturated green core. It is complete around the display face with only minor wear (typical for the material), though is not complete in back. Joe Budd photos.
J12-433 - Austinite - $ 900 SOLD Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico miniature, 4.2 x 2.6 x 1.4 cm
A gorgeous, evenly-colored crust of solid austinite, formed up robust radial sprays to 1 cm that are grown together like a mat underneath the sparkling surface. This is for my taste one of the prettiest of the austinites found, of this style, in finds of about 2008-2009. It is also the richest such find of austinite, i am aware of from this or other locales. Ojuela has an on and off history of producing world class examples of rare species, such as this - and such finds are usually not repeated. Joe Budd photos.
J12-434 - Koettigite - $ 2000 Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico miniature, 3.5 x 1.2 x 1.2 cm ex. Sam Nasser
A HUGE, robust wheatsheaf cluster of this rare species, found only once in this quality, some 30 years ago! This is an extremely rare specimen, of good aesthetic and important size for the species. Unlike most examples, it is actually blue, and not a boring ugly gray color! ex Sam Nasser thumbnail/toenail collection and Dave Stoudt Mexico collection. I bought it from Sam Nasser in 2004 and sold it to Stoudt in 2005, and now have what i consider the privilege to offer it again.
J12-435 - Neptunite on Natrolite - $ 450 SOLD Dallas Gem Mine, San Benito Co., California thumbnail, 2.4 x 2.4 x 1.6 cm ex. Ron Pellar
A sharp, extremely well-balanced neptunite thumbnail with the best black neptunite (lustre, sharpness!), perched smartly on stark white natrolite matrix. Now, such pieces are hard to come by in this quality and the deposit is basically exhausted for such things. Ex. Ron Pellar thumbnail collection. Joe Budd photos.
J12-436 - Adamite - $ 950 Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico miniature, 3.7 x 3.1 x 2.1 cm ex. Ron Pellar
A sparkline, gorgeous rosette of adamite on a small bit of matrix, just a well-balanced miniature of this classic style. Ex. Ron Pellar collection (he was most known for his adamite suite assembled over some 40 years). Joe Budd photos.
J12-438 - Adamite (Manganoan) - $ 400 SOLD Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico thumbnail, 2.4 x 2.1 x 1.8 cm ex. Ron Pellar
A sharp, aesthetic cluster with tips colored lavender-purple by manganese, from the famous finds of the early 1980s here. Ex. Ron Pellar collection (he was most known for his adamite suite assembled over some 40 years). Joe Budd photos.
J12-439 - Adamite (Manganoan) - $ 200 Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico thumbnail, 2.1 x 1.2 x 0.5 cm ex. Ron Pellar
A sharp, single crystal with a tip colored lavender-purple by manganese, from the famous finds of the early 1980s here. Ex. Ron Pellar collection (he was most known for his adamite suite assembled over some 40 years). Joe Budd photos.
J12-440 - Wulfenite - $ 1250 SOLD San Francisco Mine, Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico thumbnail, 2.1 x 1.9 x 1.0 cm ex. Ron Pellar
A STUNNING, totally gem, pristine, perfect windowpane wulfenite crystal from the early 1980s finds here. Ex Star van Scriver collection, in 1983, to thumbnail collector Ron Pellar. Joe Budd photos.
J12-441 - Chrysocolla ps. Azurite - $ 950 Ray Mine, Pinal County, Arizona thumbnail, 2.4 x 1.9 x 1.1 cm ex. Ron Pellar
Rarely do we get good specimens of this classic, replacemend of azurite by sparkling bright chrysocolla. Atop it all, is a thin layer of drusy quartz which adds sparkle, and protects the underlaying blue chrysocolla as well. Most are large clusters, in any case. This is one of the VERY few thumbnail specimens I have seen of this material, and it really just leaps out for sheer color. It is complete all around, and is more than just a "small example", transcending to be superb thumbnail of a very hard thing to get. Ex Star van Scriver collection, in 1983, to thumbnail collector Ron Pellar. Joe Budd photos.
J12-442 - Acanthite - $ 1750 SOLD Rayas Mine, Guanajuato, Mexico thumbnail, 2.3 x 1.2 x 1.7 cm ex. Ron Pellar
Acanthite thumbnails are common enough, but this piece has a symmetry and form that really makes it leap out, even amongst all the examples out there. I found it mesmerizing when I first saw this on exhibit in the Pellar collection competitive cases when I lived in California in the early 1990s. It is 360-degree complete all around, and is more than just a "small example", transcending to be superb thumbnail way beyond the norm for a relatively common species. Ex Star van Scriver collection, in 1983, to thumbnail collector Ron Pellar. Was in his 1989 National Award winning trophy case of thumbnails. Joe Budd photos.
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