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from the TUCSON and MUNICH shows
This small and remote deposit has produced the gemmiest cassiterites of China, and since the old Bolivian material of olden days. But, it remains seldom known and specimens very few compared to those from Ping Wu in Sichuan Province - which have another habit entirely. This is a sharp, very gemmy and translucent crystal cluster showing the gemminess and lustre that make these cassiterites so desirable. The piece has very minor (and in situ) edge wear, and is complete on 3 sides, with matrix attachment in back. It has razor sharp edges on the left and right. NOTE last shot shows the piece strongly backlit.
A HUGE helvite crystal for the locality, or for that matter for the species at all, anchors the specimen at one end or the bottom, depending on how you display it. That larger crystal is approx 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm in size! It is contacted partially at the bottom/rear, but complete on display face. However, the finer crystal is the one atop, 1.8-cm-across and slightly translucent (shown backlit in photo , lower-right). For the size, this is a major piece and has good aesthetics as well.
ex. Dick Jones
This superb large miniature/small cab specimen features a central pyrite of 2.7 cm on edge, perched in between beautiful gem quartz points. It is a classic combo, and in extremely balanced proportion. There is some very minor wear to the back of the pyrite, but overall it is in fine shape, particularly considering how difficult these are to collect. Dick Jones, a well known collector and dealer, bought this from the mining partnership that ran this remote, difficult to access claim. My own mentor Neal Pfaff collected this as part of a partnership with the Bob Jackson team, probably in the 1980s.
ex. Scott Kleine
This is an extremely rare matrix specimen of Fresnoite, one of the very rare titanium-containing minerals found in San Benito County (the same source as for the Benitoite Mines). Relatively few specimens of quality have been recovered compared to the neptunite and benitoite nearby, and many (such as this one) were collected during an aggressive mining operation around 1999-2000 by dealer and miner Scott Kleine. The Junnila Mine, started as a benitoite recovery operation, actually turned out to have rather poor benitoite production, but in a few historic spurts yielded these superb fresnoite crystals instead as a consolation prize. This is a miniature from his personal collection, featuring a sharp, freestanding, 1 cm crystal on matrix. It is a piece with high quality and display aesthetics both. the crystal is translucent, and a pure honey-yellow color
ex. Dennis Mullane
Blue spinel from Montana is an old classic, seldom seen in good display specimens today. This piece features a 1.7-cm crystal embedded in quartzite matrix. The main crystal is complete, and accented by blue fragments of secondary crystals throughout the matrix. I have seen only a handful of good examples of this material, and usually they are priced over $1000. From the Dennis Mullane collection, circa 1960s-1970s
This is an oldtimer, with a fatter style not seen in (sparse) modern finds here. It is a 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm crystal, really lustrous, with a wonderful pear-green color to it. The crystal is complete all around and achored nicely into the matrix. Seldom do you see such significant examples of these, for sale today. Even back "in the day" when most came out in the 1960s and early 1970s, such size was not common.
A beautiful, sparkling cluster of solid anglesite, crystallized in several habits and colors merging together. This species is puzzlingly rare in such rich coverage from Tsumeb, despite that there are so many other metal-rich species here. Complete on the display face, matrix in back, this comes on a custom base. ex Brent Lockhart Collection
ex. Alain Martaud
Pyromorphite crystals from the famous Les Farges lcoale rarely exceed 1 cm. A special pocket of large hopppered crystals was found about 1979-1980 and yielded a number of elongated , complex crystals to nearly 4 cm such as the one you see here (which is a LARGE example of that find!). Additionally, it is complete all around 360-degrees, and prisitne but for the few tiniest of little dings. Importantly, the piece has the classic grassy-green color and waxy lustre of Les Farges pyros, PLUS the size going for it. It is a showy, significant French pyromorphite of this style. From the french suite of the Alain Martaud collection (with label)
This specimen is a large thumbnail, showcasing a VERY complexly bevelled, sharply terminated, and lustrous bixbyite crystal. The crystal is so jet black and metallic, that photos fail to convey how good it really is in person. The bixbyite measures 1.6 x 1.3 x 1 cm, and is flanked by minor associated champagne-colored topaz crystals, on a bit of rhyolite matrix. Superb thumbnail, with a rather large crystal for the species.
ex. Bill and Carol Smith
This is a solid spherical cluster of creedite from a rare locality, and it is very rich and solid as well. The piece is composed of radiating crystals, quite discrete in person at their terminations. It is complete, 360 degrees, except only the bottom. The piece carries a label for "Manhatten Mine, Granite " from the Bill and Carol Smith collection (they are known for exactitude in labelling). The locality is given on mindat however, only as Granite, without the specific mine name. It was purchased from dealer Cal Greaber, who in turn had obtained it from an old collection. Between the two of them, who have far more knowledge than I on really old esoterica, I fully trust this is American and from an old Nevada locale, although I have not seen comparable. Most US creedites are rather sparse in comparison, with small and flimsy crystals on matrix. This piece, with robust and sharp creedites of a size comparable to Russian or Mexican material, is a unique, and pretty, American creedite specimen!
A fiery-orange specimen with ultimate top color and lustre for the find, which was hit around 2000-ish. This piece is , to me, exceptionally dramatic in the way the crystals flare out and give it a 3-dimensionality. Truly good specimens of this find are not quite uncommon on the market, although much mediocre or darker colored material is still available for sale from time to time. This , though, is the top quality as I recall it at the time, for lustre and color.
A beautiful, exceptionally lustrous and well formed witherite cluster from this famous locale, one of the world's two great localities for the species (which is generally rare in large crystals). This probably dates to the late 1960s-early 1980s. It is unusually aesthetic, as most of these tend towards clunkiness.
These exquisite Chino coppers were found just in one small area of the pit, in a lucky find of a single elongated vein. Although several hundreds of smaller crystals were recovered (in approx 2006), only a relative handful of perfect, doubly-terminated coppers of this size magnitude were found. This piece is particularlysharp, and shows the characteristic twinning flanges flaring off around the side of the main axis, which itself is an elongated spinel-twinned copper crystal
This large specimen is one of the few "matrixy" pieces found amidst hundreds of floater single crystals and a very few clusters, in this deposit (in approx 2006). It is a memorable piece to me for its unique aesthetics, as it is perched on a knob of rough copper like a teeter-totter on a playground; and was one of my first picks of the lot when it came up for sale. I have recently bought it back from the collector I sold it to back when they came out. These exquisite Chino coppers were found just in one small area of the pit, in a lucky find of a single elongated vein. Although several hundreds of smaller crystals were recovered, only a relative handful of perfect, doubly-terminated coppers of this size magnitude were found. This piece is particularlysharp, and shows the characteristic twinning flanges flaring off around the side of the main axis, which itself is an elongated spinel-twinned copper crystal
These exquisite Chino coppers were found just in one small area of the pit, in a lucky find of a single elongated vein. Although several hundreds of smaller crystals were recovered (in approx 2006), only a relative handful of perfect, doubly-terminated coppers of this size magnitude were found. This piece is particularlysharp, and shows the characteristic twinning flanges flaring off around the side of the main axis, which itself is an elongated spinel-twinned copper crystal
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share specimen![Cassiterite from Amo deposit, Ximeng County, Pu'er Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10450a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10450a.jpg)
![Cassiterite from Amo deposit, Ximeng County, Pu'er Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10450c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10450c.jpg)
![Cassiterite from Amo deposit, Ximeng County, Pu'er Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10450x.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10450x.jpg)
![Helvite from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10449b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10449b.jpg)
![Helvite from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10449a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10449a.jpg)
![Helvite from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10449c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10449c.jpg)
![Helvite from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/new2010/t10449d.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10449d.jpg)
![Pyrite on Quartz from Spruce Claim (Spruce Ridge), Goldmyer Hot Springs, King Co., Washington, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10445c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10445c.jpg)
![Pyrite on Quartz from Spruce Claim (Spruce Ridge), Goldmyer Hot Springs, King Co., Washington, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10445b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10445b.jpg)
![Pyrite on Quartz from Spruce Claim (Spruce Ridge), Goldmyer Hot Springs, King Co., Washington, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10445a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10445a.jpg)
![Pyrite on Quartz from Spruce Claim (Spruce Ridge), Goldmyer Hot Springs, King Co., Washington, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10445d.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10445d.jpg)
![Fresnoite from Junnila mine, New Idria District, Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10443a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10443a.jpg)
![Fresnoite from Junnila mine, New Idria District, Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10443b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10443b.jpg)
![Fresnoite from Junnila mine, New Idria District, Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10443c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10443c.jpg)
![Spinel (blue) from Dry Gulch, South of Helena, Montana, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10439a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10439a.jpg)
![Spinel (blue) from Dry Gulch, South of Helena, Montana, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10439b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10439b.jpg)
![Spinel (blue) from Dry Gulch, South of Helena, Montana, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10439c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10439c.jpg)
![Spinel (blue) from Dry Gulch, South of Helena, Montana, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10439d.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10439d.jpg)
![Apatite from Cerro Mercado, Durango, Mexico [db_pics/new2010/t10434a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10434a.jpg)
![Apatite from Cerro Mercado, Durango, Mexico [db_pics/new2010/t10434b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10434b.jpg)
![Anglesite from Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia [db_pics/new2010/t10432a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10432a.jpg)
![Anglesite from Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia [db_pics/new2010/t10432b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10432b.jpg)
![Anglesite from Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia [db_pics/new2010/t10432c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10432c.jpg)
![Pyromorphite from Les Farges Mine, Ussep, Corrize, France [db_pics/new2010/t10430a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10430a.jpg)
![Pyromorphite from Les Farges Mine, Ussep, Corrize, France [db_pics/new2010/t10430b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10430b.jpg)
![Pyromorphite from Les Farges Mine, Ussep, Corrize, France [db_pics/new2010/t10430c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10430c.jpg)
![Bixbyite with Topaz from Solarwind Claim, Thomas Range (North), Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10429a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10429a.jpg)
![Bixbyite with Topaz from Solarwind Claim, Thomas Range (North), Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10429b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10429b.jpg)
![Creedite from Granite camp (Manhatten Mine), Lodi District, Nye Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10426a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10426a.jpg)
![Creedite from Granite camp (Manhatten Mine), Lodi District, Nye Co., Nevada, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10426b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10426b.jpg)
![Orpiment from Cut 20, North Zone, Twin Creeks Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10425a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10425a.jpg)
![Orpiment from Cut 20, North Zone, Twin Creeks Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10425b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10425b.jpg)
![Orpiment from Cut 20, North Zone, Twin Creeks Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10425c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10425c.jpg)
![Witherite from Minerva # 1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10423a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10423a.jpg)
![Witherite from Minerva # 1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10423b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10423b.jpg)
![Witherite from Minerva # 1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10423c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10423c.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10422a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10422a.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10422b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10422b.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10421a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10421a.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10421b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10421b.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10421d.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10421d.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10420a.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10420a.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10420b.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10420b.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10420c.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10420c.jpg)
![Copper (spinel-twinned) from Chino Mine (Santa Rita Pit; Santa Rita Mine), Santa Rita, Santa Rita District, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA [db_pics/new2010/t10420d.jpg]](db_pics/new2010/t10420d.jpg)