The most colorful and novel find here was , to me, the large, hot-pink manganoan calcites. I have tried to buy up many over the last year, and it seems that the supply of good ones is now gone, even in China. I think these will be remembered as a modern classic, and the deposit does not seem to be yielding more. Please note the photos were taken under our standard halogen lighting, and the pink color is actually much more rich in person, particularly under normal fluorescent lighting.

A strangely shaped cluster of intergrown calcites, with good pink color. The shape and apttern of this cluster are the result of intergrowth with quartz crystals during the formation of calcite in this pocket, and some of the grooves and straight lines you see on the calcite "stalk" are where it was constrained in growth, we think. A beautiful and highly unusual specimen that is unlike other calcites we have seen from the mine, as yet. The slightly pink, manganoan-rich calcite is fluorescent orange-red under UV light. From late-2011 finds. A little more pink in person than appears here

This is one of the few really large pink calcites recovered in good condition, that we are aware of. Most were small, or big and damaged. This is so different from any other calcite style we have seen - an intense pink cluster composed of intergrown "wheat sheaves" of elongated manganoan calcite crystals, with an intense pink coloration to them (stronger , richer pink color in fluorescent light as opposed to halogen light, under which these photos were shot). The specimen here is complete all around the display face and sides, with only some contacts in back. This is from a series of pockets which produced such pieces in mid-2011. Seems that since then, new pieces of this style are more uncommon. I believe these will be remembered as a contemporary classic, as well as for their beauty. The pink, manganoan-rich calcite is fluorescent orange-red under UV light. This specimen is complete all around. It is 5 pounds in weight! It displays dramatically either vertically or horizontally. Note also that the pink color saturation seems to be volumetric - in other words, these bigger pieces are actually a slightly more rich pink, in normal lighting. For the sheer color impact, this one is hard to beat.