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New Find: World Class Inyoite from Argentina!
These are the last specimens (and many of the best) of a single
large find made several years ago and long kept back by the miners! I
was floored by these specimens, which surely must be among the best of
the species known from any locality. I had seen only a few dozen of
them in the past, perhaps 5-6 years ago, when a small lot came out for
sale at the Denver Show. I have seen none come out since then, until
now (and the odds of more are remote if you read the accompanying
article).
CLICK HERE to read a
short article by mineral traveller and collector Rock Currier, on the
mine and the find. He also provided me some pictures, below.
(click on a page number to go to that page:)
page 1 / 2 - next - bottom - back to the Galleries
iny05 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $850 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 4.7 x 4.7 x 2.7 cm
A gorgeous, sharp miniature with top lustre and extremely good form, with the 4 x 2.5 x 2.75 cm crystal perched on a natrual pedestal of smaller rhombs. There is only a slight contact at the base, otherwise this is complete all around and 360! The Meyerhofferite exists as a network of discrete crystals penetragint the interior, and you can see them clearly through the inyoite. At the edges, on 4 of 6 rhomb faces, the Meyerhofferite forms a more complete alteration and thus a white "rind" around the gemmy core. For a white and colorless mineralization combo, it is striking, overall. It is among my favorite specimens, here.
iny06 - Inyoite - $600
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 7.0 x 4.9 x 4.6 cm
An exceedingly GEMMY specimen showing an earlier inyoite layer with included brown matrix , inside. The largest crystal is 4 cm, and this is complete all around!
iny07 - Inyoite - $1250 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 6.3 x 6.0 x 5.5 cm
A starkly geometric, sharp cluster of three larger crystals (to 5 cm) on matrix, presenting sharp faces, gemmy interiors, and excellent lustre on all sides, 360 degrees. There is some included matrix, which because of the stunning clarity of the crystals shows through here in the photos much more strongly than in person, meaning it is a bit less "brown" in person and the inyoite itself is more dominant to the eye rather than the matrix inside.
iny08 - Inyoite - $475 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 6.6 x 4.4 x 4.1 cm
A large, gemmy, SHARP, complete-all-around 5 cm crystal perched upon a natural pedestal! This is one of the more elegant of the specimens in the find, to my eye. Superb quality, more evidently gemmy in person!
iny09 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $300 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 8.2 x 5.3 x 4.8 cm
Unusually thin and elongated (but sharp!), gemmy, water-clear crystals to 3.5 cm on a shard of matrix, make this a dramatic piece for the price. It is complete alla round, though there is damage to one crystal on the backside. Minor Meyerhofferite association
iny10 - Inyoite - $200 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
cabinet, 9.8 x 6.0 x 3.7 cm
Gemmy crystals on a stalk of matrix, culminating in a 2.5 cm sharp crystal right atop. Very elegant piece, overall
iny11 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $950 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 6.4 x 4.5 x 3.8 cm
A SUPER SHARP crystal, 3.7 cm long on edge, with extraordinary gemminess and glassy lustre...this is perhaps the best single crystal in this quality in my lot , gram for gram. It is hard to judge from photos due to the clarity and lustre on some of these, but that is my opinion. It is not altered to Meyerhofferite but DOES have discrete terminated Meyerhofferite crystals included inside, in a phantom layer a few millimeters down, and then covered over with a second generation of inyoite growth. The whole piece is SPARKLY and bright, and just so much better than photos can indicate here. It is a world class miniature of a very rare species, and yet these just don't cost what other "world class" examples of most species do , luckily enough.
iny12 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $950 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
small cabinet, 8.5 x 6.9 x 3.7 cm
SHARP crystals to 4.5 cm, partially included by and altering to Meyerhofferite on their edges for a unique visual contrast to the cores, dominate either end of this beautiful matrix specimen. In person it is much less brown and more white and clear...but photos simply do not do these justice: these crystals are so clear, that the small bit of underlaying brown matrix simply is all you see in the photos sometimes. Not so, in person.
iny13 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $125 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 5.1 x 4.1 x 3.8 cm
A sharp single crystal, excellent as a reference example for the find, complete all around, with some surface Meyerhofferite crystals but no alteration.
iny14 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $400
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 6.0 x 5.1 x 3.3 cm
A sharp cluster of 3 crystals, elongated and gemmy. SHARP edges make it more dramatic in person. In the photos, you are looking right through to a bit of included matrix in the back, and to the included but discrete Meyerhofferite crystals that contrast sharply with their enclosing inyoite. The back face of the larger crystal, about 4 cm, is altered to Meyerhofferite and so is white in color.
iny16 - Inyoite - $300
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 5.3 x 3.3 x 2.7 cm
A sharp, overall rectangular cluster with unusual and elongated crystals to 5 cm. The piece is complete all around, except for a small contact on the rear of the top termination, as shown. Large crystal size for the price!
iny17 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $450 SOLD
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 5.7 x 4.1 x 3.1 cm
A razor-sharp crystal, to 3.5 cm on edge, and extremely impressive in person! One of my favorite miniatures here, this one LOOKS like it has a different crystal form almost, because of the sharp angular nature of its rhombohedral crystals, elongated steeply in one direction. A few gemmy , discrete Meyerhofferite crystals are included inside.
iny18 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $400
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
miniature, 4.8 x 4.6 x 2.2 cm
A sharp, flattenned, elongated 4.5 cm crystal is perched atop a smaller and matrix-included crystal here, makign for a really nice display-quality miniature, showing off a freefloating inyoite atop!
iny01 - Inyoite - $3500
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
cabinet, 19.7 x 15.7 x 7.5 cm
A gorgeous, top quality 6 x 4 x 4 cm crystal is perched in the middle of a daisy chain of smaller crystals making their progression across the top of the specimen. The crystal is probably the single best crystal in this entire lot, and displays so nicely "aligned" for viewing as you see it. There is, unlike most in the lot, only a very minor amount of isolated Meyerhofferite crystals present. The whole piece is nearly a floater, completely covered in crystals all around except along the bottom base. For overall gemminess and transparency, one of thebest. The positioning of the dominant crystal in a large matrix makes this a museum piece.
iny02 - Inyoite with Meyerhofferite - $2950
Monte Azul, Plano, Argentina
cabinet, 17.1 x 10.8 x 7.6 cm
Lustrous, Glassy, VERY GEMMY transparent crystals to 4.5 cm included slightly around the edges with discrete crystals of meyerhofferite for stark contrast. This is a superb large specimen with no damage , composed entirely of large crystals in aggregate!
(click on a page number to go to that page:)
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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