The San Diego County Mineral Collection of Pala International/William Larson

The San Diego County Mineral Collection
of Pala International/William Larson

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PALA-321 - Stellerite and Calcite - SOLD
Calavera Quarry, Carlsbad, California, USA
large cabinet, 5.1 x 2.0 x 1.8 cm

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Rare crystals of the zeolite species stellerite, from San Diego county. I have seen only a few before, and this is an aesthetic example

PALA-319 - Tourmaline var. Schorl - SOLD
Blue Chihuahua Mine, Riverside Co., California, USA
small cabinet, 6.8 x 2.1 x 1.7 cm, 7.1 x 3.9 x 2.7 cm

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Two superb, razor sharp schorls with a combined mass of 130 grams, from this obscure locality. Fine specimens, from anywhere in county, of schorl!

PALA-316 - Lepidolite ps. After Tourmaline - SOLD
Elizabeth R. Mine, Pala, San Diego Co., California, USA
cabinet, 10.2 x 9.2 x 4.8 cm

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This is a bizarre specimen! It is a nearly (95%) complete replacement by sparkling lepidolite of a tourmaline, a giant tourmaline section, at that. It weighs about 660 grams. Big, weird, and pretty, if not particularly elegant I admit. I have seen such in small crystals from the County, but nothing this size before

PALA-315 - Quartz with Montmorillonite inclusions - SOLD
White Queen Mine, Pala, San Diego Co., California, USA
large cabinet, 15.0 x 5.4 x 5.3 cm

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A really neat quartz, colored pinkish by montmorillonite inclusions, and casted out so it is hollow inside! Classic for the locality, once common and now seldom seen

PALA-314 - Tourmaline - SOLD
King Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California, USA
miniature, 3.8 x 2.2 x 1.7 cm

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A superb crysatl of King Mine tourmaline... Old, valid King mine pieces are extremely hard to obtain. This is not only classic in color, but has a nice old label from the late 1800s or early 1900s. 32 grams.The hue on this is subtly different from other County mines and it clearly is legit.

PALA-313 - Schorl with Spessartine, Albite, Quartz - SOLD
Little Three Mine, near Ramona, San Diego County, California, USA
large cabinet, 17.5 x 13.5 x 9.3 cm

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This specimen is a rare LARGE schorl and matrix piece from the mine. As a bonus it has a sharp 1.5 cm Spessartine crystal sitting within the cast of a former , larger crystal, perched on beautiful and marge matrix of albite and schorls. For the matrix, itself, this is a classic specimen and you rarely see such in large size. Most larger pieces from here are quite broken up. This is an old piece from Louis Spaulding, the mine owner. Stabilized with a little glue injected into a seam in back , but not repaired. In person, it is much more dramatic and really an immediately recognizable locality piece with impact in person

PALA-312 - Topaz on Cleavelandite - SOLD
Little Three Mine, near Ramona, San Diego County, California, USA
small cabinet, 6.6 x 6.2 x 4.5 cm

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A VERY RARE MATRIX specimen of topaz from this classic mine! Matrix specimens I have seen, I can count on one hand! This is a spectacularly displayed crystal perched on the edge of a rounded mass of bladed cleavelandite (albite) matrix, making for stark contrast. The main crystal is very symmetric and gemmy, although in the photo it looks a little worse than in real life. The sidecar cluster on the left side of the main crystal is complete and terminated. Although repaired (1 cm from teh topaz base), it is very showy and aesthetic, and in context I can live with the repair given teh rarity and , I think, fair price. The topaz is 4.3 x 3 x 2.5 cm in size and is DOUBLY TERMINATED.

PALA-310 - Cats-eye Tourmaline cabochon - SOLD
Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA
thumbnail, 1.8 x 0.9 x 0.9 cm

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Parallel needles and growth tubes , some of which are filled with a solid crystalline material, make this a rare cats eye effect tourmaline from San Diego. This was a gift to Bill Larson from the gem collection of the late Dr Edward Gubelin, of Switzreland. It is 12.2 carats.

PALA-311 - Stibiotantalite on Ferrotantalite - SOLD
Cryo-Genie Mine, San Diego Co., California, USA
miniature, 3.0 x 2.0 x 1.0 cm

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A rare association of two species of tantalite, from a small find here in the early 2000s. Obtained from the miners, the Gochenour brothers. I would say this must be fairly rare, two such sharply different and related species together like this

PALA-308 - Beryl - SOLD
Carmelita Mine, Warner Springs, San Diego County, California, USA
thumbnail, 2.4 x 1.6 x 1.3 cm, 1.9 x 1.7 x 1.3 cm

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Two unusual, straw-yellow beryls, from a rare County locale

PALA-305 - Spodumene var. Kunzite - SOLD
Beebe Hole Mine, Mt. Tule, Jacumba District, San Diego Co., California, USA
miniature, 4.5 x 4.0 x 2.0 cm

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A superb miniature from a spectacular, lucky, freak find in the late 1970s. Much was sold as facet rough but some specimens were retained by the finder for many years. I and others bought them in the late 1990s. This is an outstanding piece because it has a REAL TERMINATION that is sharp, uncommon for County, and it has intense color. Also uncommon for any mine hereabouts but the old Chief. The best small specimen I have seen from the Beebe Hole (and I have been to Loren Beebe's home to see the lot, mind you). This is one of the few County pieces that would fool most folks into believing it was from Afghanistan or Brazil at twice the price. As a US specimen, a sharp kunzite of this quality should command more of a level of interest and I rate it very highly on all counts.. Fool your friends...

PALA-304 - Goshenite Beryl - SOLD
Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA
thumbnail, 2.7 x 2.5 x 1.9 cm, 2.9 x 1.8 x 1.6 cm,

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Sharp, brilliantly lustrous, etched beryl from the Himalaya Mine where beryl is fairly uncommon. 3 thumbnail specimens, all little jewels! They have the faintest hint of pink to them, but really are closer to colorless than to morganite

PALA-303 - Lithiophilite ps. After Apatite - SOLD
Stewart Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California, USA
small cabinet, 6.8 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm

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Very large, robust crystals of presumably apatite, replaced by lithiophilite. A very strange rarity from the Stewart!

PALA-302 - Microcline - SOLD
Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA
miniature, 5.4 x 2.3 x 2.1 cm

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Microcline from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd302a.jpg]

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Microcline from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd302b.jpg]

An odd, translucent, etched, elongated microcline crystal

PALA-301 - Hambergite on Cleavelandite - SOLD
Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA
small cabinet, 6.6 x 5.1 x 3.3 cm

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Hambergite on Cleavelandite from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd301c.jpg]

Hambergite on Cleavelandite from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd301c.jpg]

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Hambergite on Cleavelandite from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd301a.jpg]

Hambergite on Cleavelandite from Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd301a.jpg]

A sharp 1.7 cm hambergite perched on crystallized albite matrix. ANY matrix hambergite is rare from this mine, and here is one remarkably unetched, a great locality example of the species for a US locale.

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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

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