From the alkaline type locality of Mt. St. Hilaire, this is a relatively large example of the species. Carletonite crystals, like this one, are clearly tetragonal, glassy and gemmy and the best exhibit this lovely, ice blue color. Large and complete all around, this is a significant thumbnail crystal and one seldom sees good pieces for sale today. There is a very clean, lock-fit repair at the bottom, though, and hence a price lower than the $500-750 otherwise valued for it.

This is a very rare, calcium, aluminum, borate mineral species almost never see nin good crystals. A few small batches trickled out of Burma in 2007-2008 and were met with surprise and, of course, demand among rarities collectors leading to fairly high pricing at the time. The find has come and gone. I have seen in total only a few dozen specimens, all thumbnails but one, in the last 3 years. It is possible all came from the same pocket or series of small pockets, as they look identical in color and associations, making this a world class find of an extreme rarity normally relegated to the arena of "micros and reference specimens" only . These crystals, to 8 mm across, are perched on matrix and have good luster and translucence. The color is a rich, light, orangy brown. Purchased at Denver show, 2008, for $1200 from a European dealer, this is being offered (amortised) at less than the same price he paid then. It remains one of the larger and richer specimens we have seen

This specimen is a beautiful boracite from extremely deep finds in this huge mine, found in the mid 1990s. They are now remembered for their beauty and this is no exception. Perched aesthically on matrix of orange hilgardite is a cluster of lustrous and translucent, pastel green crystals, up to 3 mm in length. Note the complex, mesmerizing, triangular look to the crystals...very different from boracite from other locales like Germany or Bolivia. I have seen many fine larger pieces (though, few recently) but this is perhaps the most elegant thumbnail example I have run across. Complete all around.

Nearly all the best ludlamite specimens come from the Americas: the Blackbird Mine in Idaho, several localities in Bolivia, and the San Antonio Mine at Santa Eulalia, Mexico. This beautiful cluster from Santa Eulalia exhibits glassy luster and good translucence, with a eye-pleasing apple green color. The crystals reach 1 cm in length and are arranged in an unusually elegant cluster, makign for a superb thumbnail with both aesthetics and significance for its size class. Almost certainly from a few small finds in the early 1980s.

Although the Thomas Range in Utah is most famous for the gemmy, sherry-colored crystals of topaz, it has also produced fine specimens of durangite, a rare sodium aluminum arsenate fluoride. Usually the crystals are on the order of 1-3 mm in size, and frankly kinda of ugly. This specimen is composed of three, lustrous and TRANSLUCENT, brick-red crystals, to 1.3 cm in length. Rich red color and huge size make this a phenomenal and important specimen for any species collector and a competition-level thumbnail. Personally I have never seen one of this magnitude - it may be one of the largest from Utah ever seen, I suspect.

This is a cluster of parallel, glassy and gemmy, ivory-colored crystals to 2.2 cm in length. Large crystals of kovdorskite, a rare magnesium phosphate, are uncommon and come ONLY from this locality. This is a large, full sized thumbnail/toenail specimen and hosts as large a crystal as you can get in a specimen of the size - but they are large by any standard, as well (to 2 cm). From the type locality in the Kovdor Massif, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Ex Renato Pagano collection of Italy, in 2008

This was purchased in 1999 directly from the collection of the deceased dealer Luis Leite, a well known specialist in rarities and in Brazilian classics after whom the species Leiteite was named. It is one of the finest examples of a Brazilian milarite I have come across, in any size, but happens to be a particularly balanced thumbnail specimen. Milarite is a highly coveted, yet rare, hydrated, potassium, calcium, aluminum, beryllium silicate. It is best known from the Alps and Brazil, plus a small 1970s find in Mexico. This specimen features a fine, lustrous and translucent, apple green, milarite crystal, measuring 1.5 cm in length, perched on quartz crystals, reaching 2 cm in length. Aesthetic and important! It is most unusual to get specimens with such a nice crystallized association - usually the milarites were found spaced out much more infrequently for the surface area and on generally ugly matrix (from all the locales). These are about 20 years old, and none of quality have been found since the mid-1980s to my knowledge. I think this is just a superb thumbnail for both the significance of the species, AND the balance and aesthetics of the piece itself. The crystals are also of large size for both the locality and for the species, surpassed only by a few freakish specimens from the Alps perhaps. They have excellent lustre and translucency, and it would be very hard to find a competition-level display quality thumbnail of such quality on the market today. Joe Budd photos

Scattered on a gangue matrix are tiny crystals, about 1 mm across, or transparent, tan-colored marshite, a rare copper iodide. This is classic and very old material for the locality, hard to obtain today. Tiny stolzite crystals are in association. A great reference or micro specimen, for rarity. I buy all i see of this material

Aesthetically perched high on its matrix is a glassy and gemmy crystal , 5 mm across, of xenotime-Y (a rare yittrium phosphate). This is a small crystal, admittedly, but its so glassy and lustrous and gemmy that it surely must be among best of species on a gram for gram basis, and was highly valued ($300) when Marty bought it from dealer Herb Obodda after a summer trip to Pakistan in 2006. It is a piece for quality and surprise, and i think would puzzle most folks about its identity.

This large, well formed armenite crystal, is a major example for the species of huge size and unusual transparency. The crystal is terminated, though hoppered out in back of the termination. This species is a rare, hydrated, barium, calcium, aluminum silicate. Usually micros and ugly, this locality produces crystals like this, rarely, which are lustrous and translucent. But this size is still uncommon. Purchased in 2001 and most likely from a small pocket that turned up at the Munich show in 2000, this is a world class example of the specie sand a competition-level thumbnail for significance points. And it is not as ugly as most!