A very color-saturated intense green and pink tourmaline from finds of 2010. The luster on this is fabulous, and the termination is super glassy, sharp, and well formed with a bit of an unusual lengthening and broadening at the top compared to the normal , more pointed and equant style from here. The major crystal is nicely accented by small , gemmy sidecar crystals. They are not very big, but their presence adds a lot of visual impact and sets off the big crystal in the center. The top termination looks like a fancy skyscraper tip, it is so sharp. Matthew Webb collection. 217 grams. Joe Budd Photos.

This is a really pretty piece with seemingly fractal patterns of complexity at the edges, and i love how small gemmy quartz on edges frames and accents the crystal. It is quite unusual in appearance in this regard, with the thin drapery of white Quartzcrystals hanging down the backside. I cannot say as I have ever seen another one like it. Most Brazilian sphenes have no lustre, but this one has glassy lustre. It is vertical and dramatic, as it is 8 cm tall. Having had this twice now over the last 20 years, I still find it a unique specimen. Joe Budd Photos.

A sharp copper cluster that literally stands on its own two feet�displaying great horizontally and standing on its own, balanced on the points as shown. However, it ALSO looks incredible displayed upright, vertically - with either end equally fine as bottom or top. The piece is complete all around, though contacted and naturally flat in back, rather than as robustly crystallized as on the front face. The patina is superb, and makes the clean lines and shapes all the more sharply defined by its subtle coloration.The largest crystal is 5.5 cm , doubly terminated. Even the smaller crystals in the cluster are outstanding and sharp. This piece came from an old collection we got into, and probably dates to the 1800's heyday of these mines. Joe Budd Photos.

These calcites from Egremont, from England's historic iron district, still set the standard for luster and gemminess over 100 years later. They are brilliantly gemmy - though in photos they look more white than clear. Slight red color at the tips is due to an internal dusting of minute hematite specks. This is a classic "pincushion style" calcite cluster from this most classic of all calcite locales. This piece dates to the late 1800s by style and form; but also can be traced more precisely to prominent importer of British classics George English, in the years 1893-1898 by the address upon the label (see Mineralogical Record's enormously useful label archives to see how such detail can be obtained: http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?page=3&colid=319). Pieces of this size, and in such good condition after 120-150 years out of the ground, are few and far between. This is a treasure, and sparkles like a jewel in person. Joe Budd Photos.

Witherite from this locality , seldom seen in this quality today, is considered by most to set the standard for the species for beauty. This piece has a complete-all-around, gorgeous witherite cluster situated on a transparent, sharp fluorite crystal. It is a rare combination piece with balance and aesthetics both. The color is also exceptional. From the Cal Tech collections, by authorised exchange to a private collector a few years ago, this is a major piece in its size range, for what it is. Joe Budd Photos.

A very old Leadville cerussite, from the Mullane collection (mostly acquired in the 1940s-1970s). I have seen smaller examples for sale every now and then, but this is a large, dramatic cluster of jackstraw crystals that is very much beyond the norm, to have survived all this time. It is a dramatic display piece for the US or lead minerals collector. Joe Budd Photos.

Rarely do you see a loop-de-looped stalactite like this, that has turned back in on itself. Elegant and attractive for its slight blush of green color (due to copper runoff in the mines), this is a really interesting piece, visually. Complete all around. from the Arizona collection of Les and Paula Presmyk. Joe Budd Photos.

Incredibly intense green crystals to just over an inch, highlight this cabinet-sized dioptase. It is one of the most flashy, "electric"-colored examples of the species we have seen, perhaps due to some thin secondary growth that causes light to reflect a little different off the surface of the crystals. Normally material from this locality is very deep green, just without this super high luster effect. Although there is some peripheral damage, the display core of the piece is both intact and impressive. Lastly, the MAJOR CRYSTAL IS JUST A HAIR UNDER 3 CM ACROSS...HUGE FOR THE SPECIES! Joe Budd Photos.

Aesthetically perched on a gray-green schist, this dramatic, textbook-sharp almandine garnet crystal displays perfect dodecahedral form. Although opaque, these dark reddish-brown crystals exhibit surface coloration of a wine-red hue. This is a classic and important locality for garnet dating back hundreds of years! Since they have to be physically picked out of the surrounding matrix, the surfaces are usually dull and are, almost always, given a very slight buffing to imrpove the luster. This one surely was lightly rubbed, again as nearly all are; but here it was only very minimally done as opposed to the outright polishing we have sometimes seen. Nature of the beast...to get them out, and make them pretty, they just need a little help afterwards. The crystal is freestanding on its pedestal of matrix, and measures approx 6.5 cm across at widest tip-to-tip measurement. Joe Budd Photos.

A hot pink plate of sharp, rhombohedral smithsonite crystals. These crystals have a richer, more saturated pink color than one usually sees in this style of smithsonite from Tsumeb, which tends to be either darker or less colorful. This is a large and showy piece, as well. Probably collected in the 1970s to early 1980s, this was in the Tsumeb collection of noted dealer Rob Smith. Comes with custom lucite display base. Joe Budd Photos.