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RICHARD HECK MEXICO COLLECTION
ex. Richard Heck
Drusy,splendent, brassy yellow pyrite and intergrown, lustrous galena crystals to 6 mm across host several frosted, lustrous and translucent, apple green fluorite crystals to 3 cm acrosss. Small faces on the fluorite crystals are unfrosted and gemmy, which allow the viewer a look into their internal world and creates contrast within the crystal faces.
ex. Richard Heck
Rare old material, from one of the few places where you get copper in calcite! This matrix specimen features glassy and gemmy, mostly colorless crystals of "nail head spar" calcite, to 2.5 cm in length, which has grown on top of dendritic copper. Some of the copper is invested with an exquisite greenish malachite patina. In a few cases the copper has actually included the calcite, giving the latter a pinkish glow. The calcite fluoresces a beautiful rich orange color, as a bonus. One or two calcite crystals exhibit damage at their terminations but that does not impact the specimen negatively, and it is a relatively large example for this style. They were said to have been found in the 1950s or before, and we have seen few for sale over the years.
ex. Richard Heck
NOT FROM MODERN FINDS - which are quite different to my eye: This is a classic Naica combo, with super aesthetics! This piece features a sharp cluster of water-clear, glassy and gemmy, pastel-green fluorite cubes. Both form and the lustre makes it distinct from modern finds. They reach to 3.5 cm across and are aesthetically perched on intergrown, lustrous, crystals of galena to 1 cm across. The underside of the specimen has modified cubes of apple green fluorite poking through the galena crust, which have imparted their color to the larger crystals on the display side (otherwise colorless). This is a superb combo specimen and the almost invisible fluorites look very similar to the famous ones from Dal'negorsk, Russia. It is much better in person, and features the complex "stairstep" fluorite formations that made Naica famous. The quality , and the clarity, and the style are all rarely seen in this older material in such condition. It is a top of the line, display sized specimen. In person, it has a green color hard to get in the photos without photoshopping them
ex. Richard Heck
Rising up from its sugary, calcite matrix, are two magnificent, glassy and gemmy, crystals of danburite to 8.5 cm in length. Although the crystals are colorless, they do exhibit the faintest hint of pink in fluorescent lighting. The danburites from Charcas are arguably the world's best of species for quality and gemminess both. The crystals are pristine save for a narrow conchoidal fracture on the back side of the termination, on the smaller crystal. The slightly irregular termination atop the larger crystal looks jagged at first glance but quite clearly in person is not damage, but rather some interesting little growth patterns on that edge of the termination. this would be from find sof the early 1980s. It is a superb, 3-dimensional specimen that has a lot more "bling" than most of these. If not for the damage at the back of the lesser termination, it would cost far more (like quadruple the price). Even so, it displays well from front and is a beautiful piece in the case, of a quality so hard to obtain for this species. Today's modern finds of the material here simply do not have the glassiness and lustre.
ex. Richard Heck
Perched aesthetically, high on a matrix of drusy calcite, are several glassy and gemmy, colorless, calcite crystals to 2.6 cm in length. The longest crystal is also doubly terminated (though with very slight edge wear on one tip, which can be removed with acid if desired). The calcite crystals are absolutely limpid and the form is highly unusual
ex. Richard Heck
Aesthetically perched on a sharp "spear" of snow-white celestite are cubes of glassy and gemmy, pastel purple, cubes of fluorite, to 1.1 cm across. This piece is exceptional for several reasons: the stark sharpness of the chisel-shaped celestite; the exceptionally gemmy cubes of fluorite; and the overall aesthetics. As well ,most of these were big and ugly - to find an aesthetic miniature is actually more difficult than to own a larger specimen
ex. Richard Heck
A core of intergrown, glassy and gemmy, nearly colorless fluorite crystals (with a faint straw color), to 1.6 cm across is almost covered on both sides by rosettes of lustrous, light-brown calcite crystals, to 2 cm in length. Unusual in its aspect, and complete all around
ex. Richard Heck
RARE for the locale, this vuggy matrix of lustrous, battleship gray galena hosts striated, darker gray crystals of bournonite, to 8 mm across. I cannot recall seeing but 2 or 3 Naica bournonites before. The matrix is also filled with glassy and gemmy, colorless fluorite cubes to 3.2 cm across - thus proving the piece is from Naica by its style or I would have thought the bournonite was from elsewhere. The fluorite exhibits a faint green fluorescence. Aesthetic , and displaying the rare association, this is a combo piece that is worth more than the sum of its parts!
ex. Richard Heck
Two, sharp and unusually isolated, pastel green fluorite crystals to 3.75 cm across are aestheically perced high on a galena and pyrite matrix. The fluorites fluoresce a medium lavender color. Interestingly, the pyrites are weird bladed habits…and surely they are pseudomorph replacements of earlier pyrrhotite but now with the pyrite composition, and sparkle and coloration to boot. This is a flashy piece in person, with sparkle off of all three species present.
ex. Richard Heck
A matrix of splendent, brassy yellow, pyrite crystals , to 6 mm across, is the host for bright crystals of galena, to 1.5 cm across. For added effect, there is a rosette of lustrous, creamy white calcite, measuring 1.5 cm across.
ex. Richard Heck
Scattered on the sharp white quartz points here, radiating out, are lustrous and translucent, honey colored, fishtail twins of gypsum, to 3 cm in length. A few of the gypsum crystals are also doubly terminated. The quartz fluoresces a rich purple color. Lovely combo piece!
ex. Richard Heck
A dramatic and sculptural specimen ! Here, a second generation druse of sparkling, snow white, calcite has grown on a cast of what was once robust calcite rhombohedrons (now hollowed out and cast over by 2 generations of later calcite. The calcite rhombs reached 7.5 cm in length. The calcite fluoresces an intense, deep orangey red color (due to manganese). This is a really dramatic piece, for form and stark simplicity of color/form
ex. Richard Heck
Citrine has always been rare from this classic locality, and highly desired by the collectors. Two crystals of lustrous and translucent, orangey-layered quartz, to 6.5 cm, in length have been nearly enveloped by a secondary, sugary druse of sparkling tan colored citrine (you can see the layering from below). Scintillating and bright, this piece just sparkles!
ex. Richard Heck
A drusy crust of gypsum, tan on the outside and white in the center, is the natural pedestal for two glassy and gemmy, colorless spearheads of gypsum, to 5.5 cm in length. The larger crystal is also doubly terminated. The aesthetics of the piece are really outstanding, and it is not "just another gypsum " !
ex. Richard Heck
A matrix of drusy pyrite and galena is nearly covered by frosted octahedrons of lustrous and translucent, pastel green fluorite, to 2.5 cm across. In person this is a very 3-dimensional and sparkly piece
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