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from the TUCSON and MUNICH shows
TUC10-01 - Zircon - € 1724 SOLD Thabeikyin, Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar) miniature, 3.4 x 1.4 x 1.4 cm ex. William Larson
This is an approximately 23-gram specimen of TOTALLY GEMMY, transparent, olive-green zircon! It is unusual for both the size, the color, and the translucency, and is a major Mogok gem crystal specimen, thus. The piece has a very sharp and equant termination, though exhibits slight water-worn surfaces characteristic of many gems from the Mogok gem tracts. Old specimen, from finds of the mid to late 1990s,sold by "Burma Bill" Larson from his collection to a collector at that time. I have seen no other comparable. In halogen lights it looks a bit yellowish, and in fluorescents (as shown) a bit more green in color.
TUC10-02 - Grossular Garnet (rare pink color) - € 1916 SOLD Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Richmond Co., Quebec, Canada small cabinet, 5.6 x 3.8 x 1.7 cm
PINK garnet is extremely uncommon and pink grossulars, from the Jeffrey Mine, have been found in only a very few small pockets over many decades of mining there (and the quarry is now defunct, so there will ot be more). They have been priced like gold from the miners, with even small reference samples with 1-3 mm bashed crystals, selling for several hundred dollars. This is a large, rich plate of the material, and is an exceptional specimen of very high quality, which I sold to a collector back in the late 1990s when these came out (and recently bought back). It has crystals to just under 1 cm, and they are absolutely gemmy-clean, and sparkling with lustre. There is only a very trivial amount of damage, to the periphery where the piece contacted others: inevitable and acceptable as these were all chopped off the walls as thin, adjacent, plates. This is the best one I have had back for sale in about a decade, and I regard it highly. Lastly, there were varying shades of pink color. This has the absolute richest color you could have gotten at the time , very intense. The price may seem expensive, and no question it is expensive, compared to other Jeffrey garnet styles and colors. But, it has been this way since they came out, and again this is, I think, one of the better ones
TUC10-03 - Sphene var. Titanite (twinned) - € 1149 Ankarafa, Vohemar District, Sava Region, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar miniature, 5.1 x 2.7 x 0.9 cm
This sharp, dramatic crystal is obviously twinned, and has unusually good transparency and gemminess throughout. It is a rich LIME GREEN COLOR, whereas most are a pale grass green in hue. It is nearly pristine with just a few very trivial bits of edge wear, only. The twin plane has exceptional glassy, wet-looking lustre to it. Superb example from these important finds for the species, most of which trickled out around 1999-2003
TUC10-04 - Atacamite (gem crystals) - € 958 SOLD New Cornwall Mine, Kadina, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, Australia miniature, 4.5 x 2.8 x 2.6 cm
An amazing , historic classic with SHARP, electric-green, metallic atacamite crystals perched safely and protectively in a pocket of gossan matrix. This is the very uncommon habit of GEMMY, transparent, elongated crystallization that is seldom seen in the species in this quality - and the best is very old material. This material is EXTREMELY HARD to come by today, as most was mined prior to 1930 or so. Many specimens are turn of the 1900s. To get such fine crystals is hard enough, but pristine ones, in a protected pocket like this...forget about it. I was shocked when I saw this specimen. Usually, the crystals of this habit are all banged up from handling, but these pocket crystals are, instead, pristine and jewel-like in their lustre and flash. Again, they are actually gemmy when backlit. Unlike most such examples, this can also be safely sent through the mail. Old material, superb for the species, and seldom seen, this is one of my favorites of the update. From an old collection.
TUC10-05 - Pyromorphite - € 919 Roughton Gill, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England miniature, 5.0 x 3.5 x 2.9 cm
This is a historic classic recognizable by its style and form as being from the mid-1800s, or perhaps even earlier, from the Roughton Gill mining district. It has superb, elongated and twisting pyromorphite crystals to approx. 1.5 cm, covering the top display face of the specimen. These ar eperched upoin, smothering really, an underlaying earlier generation of orange-brown pyromorphite that provides a neat color contrast around the sides. The bottom is yet another generation of the fatter greenish crystals, classic for the locale. Though it has minor peripheral edge wear, this is overall in good shape and displays beautifully, especially for a "lovable old classic."
TUC10-06 - Creedite - € 11493 Akchatau Mine, Qaraghandy Oblysy (Karaganda Oblast), Kazakhstan large cabinet, 15 x 14 x 6 cm ex. Marc Weill
A huge plate of purple creedite, with crystals to 3.8 cm ! In fact, it is the single largest creedite of this color tha tI have seen, from all the find sat Mexico or Kazakhstan, of any high quality. There is admittedly some small , trivial damage at the edges, and to the lower part of the crystal cluster, but in context this is minimal and the piece is perhaps one of the more important examples of the species out there. It is dramatic and 3-dimensional, more so in person. It is also VERY much more deep purple than all but the very finest of Mexico material (and those have smaller crystals on smaller specimens, in any case). A significant rarity, from the collection of Marc Weill to me by exchange. I first saw the specimen in the late 90s and have remembered it ever since. To this day, I have not seen better
TUC10-07 - Apatite - € 1532 Panasquiera, Portugal miniature, 4.0 x 3.3 x 3.0 cm
A most unusual apatite from this once productive locality, with the unusual feature of several layers of concentric growth. This is something you often see from here, in crude form, but seldom so sharply defined, and with such contrasting colors! It looks like it has an eyeball in the middle! The apatite is complete all around, composed of 2 sidecar crystals and the one major crystal . It is far more impressive in person, and is one of the most unique Panasquiera apatites I have seen , in style. This piece hits you with its unusual style, and to me is one of the most sexy minaiture sized apatites I have seen, if not the most pricey
TUC10-08 - Copper in Calcite, with copper - € 1916 Quincy Mine, Houghton County, Michigan miniature, 4.7 x 2.8 x 2.2 cm
This outstanding full miniature specimen has all the qualities you could ask fo rin a historic copper in calcite : good luster, clarity to the calcite, rich inclusions, and good aesthetics. However, more than that, it has also free vein copper and a crystal of copper in association, which is uncommon. This is most certainly an old specimen, and many came out prior to the early 1900s. For the size, and beauty, I regard it highly. They are seldom available today, and remain almost unique to Michigan's historic copper district
TUC10-09 - Gold (cubic crystals) - € 958 SOLD Lena River Basin, Bulun District, Saha Republic, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia thumbnail, 1.8 x 1.4 x 0.8 cm ex. John Barlow
A remarkably elegant, complicated, cityscape like gold specimen composed ENTIRELY of rare cubic crystals in parallel growths. Perhaps, though I am not entirely sure, it consists of a central twinned core, on which small cubes have grown. In any case, a rare and superb gold thumbnail of unusual habit, from the reknowned F John Barlow gold collection (which was dispersed in 1998-1999). Mass is about 6 grams
TUC10-10 - Spinel (set of crystals) - € 1647 Pein Pyit, Mogok, Mandalay Division, Burma thumbnail, various
This is a choice set of very carefully selected gem spinel crystals, from the heyday of Mogok exports before the current embargo (late 1990s). Combined weight is about 10 grams, so you know these are not small…all are full thumbnails, each one choice and worthy on its own merits. All are perfect floaters. The rightmost is a macle twinned crystal, which looks like a triangular crystal, 1.5 cm on edge. Second from right is a VERY GEMMY, jewel-like, perfect octohedron, 1 cm on edge (longer on the diagonal) of top quality, cherry-red color, valued $750. The two left crystals are octohedral floaters as well. The leftmost is purple/lavender color , though it is hard to photograph it as such with accuracy for some reason (valued $1000 for rarity of the color , and size /gemminess). The crystal next to it, is a doublet of gem octohedra with the classic cherry-red color (valued about $750).. Sold as a set, and frankly hard to reassemble today in a diminished market of Mogok exports
TUC10-11 - Manganite - € 958 Ilfeld, Harz Mountains, Germany miniature, 4.4 x 3.1 x 2.7 cm
Superb, sharp, upthrusting crystals to 2.4 cm spray out from a common centre on matrix, here, in this unusually aesthetic example. This is from THE classic old locality for the species, where these crystals were first found in the 1880s. Most miniatures are just blocky black masses with some crystals sticking out. This one is actually elegant, and as such is one of the better examples I have had of the german manganites, and in a good price range as well.
TUC10-12 - Grossular Garnet - € 2260 SOLD Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Richmond Co., Quebec, Canada small cabinet, 5.6 x 3.5 x 1.8 cm
From the now-defunct Jeffrey Mine, this is a major garnet specimen with top color, riveting lustre, and huge gemmy crystals to 2.1 cm across. The color is fantastic, really top rate, and the gemminess is such that you can see through ALL crystals to their cores and the small bit of underlaying matrix. The crystals cover a thin matrix plate. The display face is totally pristine and complete, and the only damage is simply the peripheral attachments around the rim of the piece. With garnet from this classic locale evaporating from the market, now that the mines are closed, I am tempted to simply stash this for the future as good specimens from here should prove a very good investment, as far as minerals go.
TUC10-13 - Pyromorphite - € 919 SOLD San Andres Mine, Villaviciosa de Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain miniature, 4.9 x 3.0 x 3.0 cm
INTENSE green, apple-green of the purest color, makes this a stunning pyromorphite miniature. In style, with these fat globular growths, it is from older finds at this lcoality, and not from recent material brought out around 2000-2002 from reworking here. Undamaged except for minor contact on the periphery. A beautiful addition to any pyromorpshite or European suite, but more than that it is just pure COLOR.
TUC10-14 - Gold (cubic crystal) - € 2107 SOLD Lena River Basin, Bulun District, Polar Yakutia, Saha Republic, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia thumbnail, 2.2 x 1.6 x 1.1 cm ex. John Barlow
This superb thumbnail is a floater, with a remarkably clean, dramatic, 1.1-cm-tall cubic gold crystal perched upon another cubic crystal in parallel growth. The main crystal is hoppered and shows receding faces into the core of the cube. It is a classic, but very rare, habit for the species. This is a fullsized thumbnail that shows the form off well, and is competition-level. In person, it is much more dramatic and 3-dimensional, as well. This specimen is from the reknowned F John Barlow gold collection (which was dispersed in 1998-1999). Mass is about 12 grams. We see SO FEW cubic gold crystals for sale, this is an extreme rarity.
TUC10-15 - Sapphire (Corundum) - yellow - € 1724 SOLD Ratnapura District, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka miniature, 3.0 x 1.5 x 1.1 cm
An unusual crystal in several respects, for both its strong, vivid yellow-orange color ; and for its twisted form. This specimen weighs 53 cts and is a complete floater. Its surreal, curving form is graceful and bizarre. As well, I just have never seen such a color-saturated sapphire in this hue, as a natural crystal, before. It is a really stunning piece, in person
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