This important specimen features the best spinel twinned fluorite I have yet seen from Pakistan, over many years. It is not green as they typically are, but PINK! And not pale pink, but a rich pink. The fluorite crystal, fully 10 cm across, has great lustre, with the bonus of sparkly highlights on the subtle, intricately modified upper edges of the twin combined with total transparency looking through the twin. There is no damage, and even the muscovite matrix is in excellent condition - perfect condition, in fact. The matrix is aesthetic on its own merits, and the contrasts of form and color really enhance the fluorite display. Moreover, the piece is a floater, complete all around (both the fluorite AND the muscovite) !. Joe Budd photos.

From the mid-1980s finds here, this is a multicolored specimen with excellent coloration and aesthetic form, in pristine condition. Specimens of this size, to 4 inches, are rare in high quality and without a repair. The luster is as important as color saturation - some specimens have it, and some do not. But what really makes this piece even more special is the contrast of two colors, in that it shows yellow upon orange (arsenian-rich) pyromorphite in such a nice way (see the photo taken from the top looking down into the piece, showing how the thick layering pairs the doubly-terminated yellow crystals perched upon the earlier generation of orange crystals. This is an important American classic, in exceptional size and quality. Considering what even small cabs and miniatures go for today (i have seen small pieces up to six figures!), this one will seem reasonably priced in the low six figure range. Most people still consider these to be among the world's finest examples of the species, and certainly of the yellow and orange varieties. Joe Budd photos.

An imposing specimen of upright azurite crystals stacked together in parallel, to form a tower of deep blue, sharp crystals rising about 7 inches tall. The largest crystal atop is sharp, robust, and 3-dimensional. The piece is very 3-dimensional, with sidecar crystals shooting out of the lower portion , crossing th epiece from left to right and adding depth. Milpillas azurite has set a new standard in what can be expected for the species, and for Mexico as well. For the first time since the great years of Tsumeb, truly world class azurites are available. It will not last. We have closely followed the production from the Milpillas mine for five years now, and it is expected that the steady trickle of good specimens will wind down over 2011 as the deposit is mined through the oxidation zone where the good stuff occurs.Joe Budd photos.

Here is a truly remarkable specimen for eye appeal, and I think the single most interesting rhodochrosite stalactite I have ever seen! It looks like a fat red worm, and is translucent when backlit ( a glowing cherry red color). The pyrite cap on one end adds character and balance. Enough said - it speaks on its own merit, or not, from the great photos. Now, a funny story about this one: I bought it from a dealer labelled as "Argentina" and paid what i thought was a pretty high price for such a thing. When I got back to my office from that trip, both another dealer and then local collector Wally Mann saw it and said something to the effect of "oh, you got THAT piece...wow, I have seen it before and think its famous". A day later, Wally came back to me, showing me a 1980 Mineralogical Record issue featuring the piece - upside down, and in black-and-white, as shown in the "What's New column" from the Detroit Show in 1979! At that time, it was in the collection of Ken and Betty Roberts. Who knows how it ended up with me, with no label, but there you have it. He recognized it, and I had not caught it. A lesson is here in the value of keeping a catalogue or labels with specimens! Joe Budd photos.

This is a very showy, large plate of wulfenites from this classic locale which stands out in several regards: The crystals (to 1.5 cm edge or 2 cm across) are super sharp and unusually well-isolated on the matrix; they show the best-quality "sandwich style" of coloration which is really hard to find in such specimens; the condition is just impeccable whereas normally such large plates are pretty bunged up; the lusre is a rich and waxy style, not dimmed by overcleaning or acid; the matrix is unusually well-covered and evenly colored; the matrix is sparkly whereas most is dull or matte; and last but not least, the piece is 3-dimensional with humps and waves, instead of the usual flat plate. This is simply an exceptional piece for the size and condition. Formerly in the Stuart Wilensky collection into the 1990s. Recently sold out of a major, private east coast collection where it has been for many years. Joe Budd photos.

A superb piece, which most people would never in a million years believe was from the USA ! This actually came from the famous McEarl pocket, in the mid 1980s, and was then long in the collection of the owner, Jimmy Coleman. From the mid 1990s until recently, it was then in the collection of Marcus Budil. The piece is absolutely gorgeous, complete and 3-dimensional all around. It shows a stark, sharp faden line, which is unusual for the locality - and for this size, from any locality. Joe Budd photos.

Quite literally, tonnage of prehnite came out of this remote locale over a few years primarily in 2006-2008. However, this piece has a special balance to it, and elegance beyond the vast majority of what came out. The piece is pristine and complete, with NO repairs despite that the prehnite ball looks glued on to the epidote. It has prehnite balls of a pure apple-green hue, without the usual brown which stains to some degree over 95% of prehnites from here. The epidote is doubly-terminated, as well. This specimen was a very rarified level of quality for the locale, and was kept back from earlier finds exported to the market by a collector who travelled to the source at the time they came out. While admittedly expensive compared to the majority of similar material, quality and aesthetics of the piece really do take it up a notch, to the next quality level and rarity point. Joe Budd photos.

The Rogerley Mine has produced what many people consider to be the finest green fluorites, certainly the finest lustrous green fluorites. Recent work at this classic locality from about 2000-2010, and ongoing slowly, has generated tons of material for the market. However, of that tonnage, only a very small percentage has been top grade - probably only in the hundreds of pieces or less, over the whole decade or so of mining. Most large plates have a varied surface in quality, while this is lustrous an dbright, with top color and sparkle throughout. This particular plate was sold by one of the mine partners, Cal Graeber, to Dr. Ed David in 2005. It is a well-trimmed plate with good aesthetics, very even and high quality lustre throughout, and with large crystals to 3 cm, many of which are penetration-twinned. There is some very minor damage, just a few small chips here or there - on a plate of this size and quality overall, considered acceptable. This dramatic large plate can be displayed at just about any angle to emphasize either the more isolated twins standing at the periphery, or to emphasize sheer size/breadth of color. It is simply a personal choice of style, as to which you prefer more. These fluorites are also highly fluorescent, as seen in the photos which show them glowing "day-glow" purple under ultraviolet light. Joe Budd photos.

An intense-blue, very color-saturated aquamarine from new finds in Vietnam. The color is EXTREME, and reminds me only of a very few Jos aquamarines I have seen in the past, quite more robust than aquas from Pakistan or Brazil. This 39-gram crystal is complete all-around, 360 degrees. It is pristine and has a fancy, pyramidal termination characteristic of this pocket (from which I understand only about a dozen specimens were recovered). The exact locale is not yet able to be released, but it IS a new location distinct from the current locale which produces flat-topped aquamarines of a lighter, more typical hue. Joe Budd photos.

This is the largest, richest example of the material that I have seen, from a one-time and very surprising find of prehnite at the N'Chwaning II in April of 2000. These remarkable specimens were the first prehnites identified from the Kalahari Manganese deposits, about 10 years ago now; and have a scientific importance as well as being unique and beautiful prehnite specimens. There is a paper by Dr. Bruce Cairncross, probably the expert on the mineralogy of the Fields, describing how the whole pocket was only the size of a half meter or so. The shape of the crystals led miners to sell them as orange inesite, but Cairncross' studies confirmed them to actually be prehnite. The shocking orange color is unique to this find, and not sene in prehnite from any other locality. The crystal habit is nearly unique, and very unusual for prehnite. the combination of orange prehnite with little red inesite blades mixed within, is ironic and attractive, as a bonus. When the material came to market, thumbnails and miniatures easily fetched $1000-2500 range, depending on quality. By the prices of the day, this should be a 10k specimen. But, we got lucky and found it in a collection, completely mislabelled and unrecognized as being from that very unique and important find. Joe Budd photos.