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DR. EDWARD E. DAVID, JR. MINERAL COLLECTION
ex. Dr. Edward David
Splendent, battleship gray, flattened, spinel twin, intergrown, crystals of galena on matrix, reach 4.0 cm across. these are augmented by a swath of black, splendent, sphalerite crystals, to 1.0 cm across. I must say that this plate of flattened galena crystals is truly amazing!
ex. Dr. Edward David
Until the early 1980’s, fine twinned cinnabar specimens from China were all but unheard of. In the last few years fine, untwined cinnabar specimens have come available. This magnificent specimen features a cluster of pristine, frosted, very lustrous, translucent, cherry red cinnabar crystals, to 2.0 cm across, aesthetically perched on ivory colored dolomite. These large untwinned crystals are actually LESS common than the twins we all wanted when they first came out, and often overlooked. This one is world class in color, size and aesthetics!
ex. Dr. Edward David
The Auglaize Quarry has produced many fine fluorite specimens, few more beautiful than this one. A transparent, very lustrous crystal of nearly colorless fluorite, 2.3 cm across, has a rich, lavender core, giving this specimen ethereal beauty. Being perched on matrix is an added bonus to the color zoning. Absolutely a world class miniature! These were highly sought after in the Ohio community when I was growing up and to my knowledge, few outside the locals have pieces like this (which Ed obtained from one of my own mentors, Ohio field collector John Medici).
ex. Dr. Edward David
Dolomite crystals of this quality are rare from any location, and these translucent blades are heavily decorated by minute crystals of iridescent pyrrhotite (and some cubanite) to make them stand out. A very 3-dimensional specimen, overall! Bladed rosettes of lustrous, translucent dolomite to 4.5 cm across, are aesthetically emplaced on a colorless, gemmy, 7.0 cm across, quartz crystal. Usually one sees gemmy green siderite with minor dolomite but this is a superb PRIMARILY-dolomite specimen from one of the world’s deepest gold mines, and a fine source for good specimens as well (though miners bring them out at risk of losing their jobs!)
ex. Dr. Edward David
The world’s gemmiest cassiterite crystals have, in the past, come from Viloco. Some Chinese crystals, some very few, now match them - but these have historicaly set the standard. However, specimens of this quality are now very scarce in the mineral market. This particular specimen is a cluster of lustrous, gemmy, brownish-tan, cassiterite crystals to 2.2 cm in length. They display dramatically, I think! The crystal on the top left-hand side is not only gemmy but it is also classically twinned. A superb old specimen with no damage to the display face except at the bottom periphery and one contacted small crystal atop!
ex. Dr. Edward David
This is a particularly aesthetic cluster of herk's, with real elegance to it instead of the "jumbliness" we so often get in larger chain clusters of these gem crystals. For that matter, the piece has crystals of a uniform gemminess and clarity , not marred by the usual ugly duckling in the midst of most clusters of several crystals or more. Taken together, these qualities make it a very special piece. Ed loved these, and had over 15 examples in the collection, more than any other variety of quartz. All, like this one, were carefully chosen by somebody who's seen literally hundreds over the years, to be extra special. I should say that, as with generally ALL large herkimer clusters, this piece is multiply repaired (by the collectors, usually). Comes with custom base.
ex. Dr. Edward David ex. Franklin Mineral Museum ex. Frederick A. Canfield
OK, at first glance a beast only an East Coast collector could love, but lets at least all admit it seems a relatively GOOD mica intrinsically, with sharp 3-dimensional form and a nice overall look. The chocolate color is also attractive. Most specimens from Franklin are true oldtimers and this is no exception, certainly historic (said to date to teh Canfield Collection, and traded out of the Franklin Musuem some time later) . The piece has a waxy lustre with a rich coffee color.
ex. Dr. Edward David
A large crystal of gemmy, doubly-terminated, golden calcite measuring a whopping 11.0 cm across contrasts beautifully with its matrix of deep lavender, translucent, fluorite. This is certainly one of the largest and gemmiest of the style I have seen from the mine, which is now defunct as is the rest of the old fluorspar district here. The piece is really striking, in person, and has a pronoucned internal lustre to it.
ex. Dr. Edward David
A very beautiful miniature with good red color, and an exceptionally large "ball" aggregate of crystals at the base, upon which is perched a smaller , translucent and party gemmy crystal. This is an excellent example from the finds of about 5 years ago which revolutionized what we coul dexpect for the species, once much more rare. The find is now gond, and exceptional pieces like this are VERY uncommon on the market today. This one,f or the sheer size, is just "juicier" than most!
ex. Dr. Edward David
A superb, inctricately crystallized cluster of the classic, thick chalcocite crystals that once made Cornwall THE worlds's great locality for the species. Rare, today, in any quality.
ex. Dr. Edward David
A remarkable, HUGE copper specimen of solid crystals, from one of the most important copper localities of the century. Probably, though, it was mined even earlier. It came out of the noteed collection of Vladimir Pelipenko in 1999 through Star van Scriver to Ed.
ex. Dr. Edward David
A complete floater with GEMMY , glassy lustre and superb form! All tips are pristine, and it has a sparkle in person not coneyed in the pictures. The minute inclusions of metallic hematite throw off specks of light, an dcontrast, that are interesting and accent the sherry topaz color. An older specimen from this classic locale!
ex. Dr. Edward David
A contrasting rhyolite matrix is the host for an unusual combo specimen. Splendent, jet-black crystals of bixbyite to 1.5 cm across are associated with gemmy, sherry-colored topaz crystals to 1.2 cm in length. This is one of the more desirable combinations from the Thomas Range. Seldom do you see so much bixbyite on one specimen, though, and with topaz as an association to boot!
ex. Dr. Edward David ex. Marshall Sussman
How many malachite pseudos have we seen form Tsumeb? hundreds? thousands? and almost all after Azurite, too. This one features malachite of velvety nature having completely replaced intricate fans of crystallized copper! It has superb aesthetics, and is even complete on both sides! At one time this was in the Marshall and Charlotte Sussman Collection. Ed obtained it from Stuart Wilensky in 1998, Ed always felt this to be a littl emore unique than other Tsumeb malachites he had owned over the years. If in doubt that it was from Tsumeb at all,the wulfenites prove the point!
ex. Dr. Edward David ex. John Whitmore ex. Wayne Thompson
A very rare solid matrix specimen of twinned silver crystals, from the famous locality in Mexico that has produced these in spurts over the years. This one was likely mined in the late 1960s and was in the Wayne Thompson and John Whitmire Collections.John was a major dealer in Mexican minerals and had a fine collection of the Mexican classics. Wayne just collected good silvers for awhile. This is significant because of the richness of the silver, the solidity of the mass of silver on matrix, and the sheer overall size. Few large matrix silvers were recovered.
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