These exceptional and uniquely colorful silver species specimens were collected in 1977 by Joe Weinholtzner at a remote location. Rumour (and truth as it turns out !) has it that nearly all were stored in a coffee can at the time and kept that way for decades. Not the best packing job for a collector.... Though many were sold at the time, a number of the largest and finest pieces were kept back and many of these came to market through Mark Mauthner, in 2004-2005. The polybasite crystals, of which this is one of the larger and more robust examples that I have seen for sale from the locality, have been previously very scarce on the market in any size above thumbnail. Most are thin plates, whereas this is a robust, 3-dimensional cluster. The specimens feature a very attractive purple/blue/red/green iridescence, which sets them off from other worldwide localities for these species (both the polybasite and stephanite from here have the coloration). The mine is defunct and despite searching, no more have been found here in 30 years now. This phenomenal specimen is one of the very best Husky miniatures I have seen for sale. It is from the collection of Dr. Mark Mauthner. The display face has no damage, save a (small) ding at the top of the left cluster, and it is otherwise in good shape. It is contacted on the bottom edge and a bit on the backside, but again is nearly pristine where it matters most. The color is spectacular: a metallic mix of iridescent purple, red and blue hues (much more obvious in person than the pictures indicate). Individual crystals reach 1.7 cm.

This is a very bizarre beryl specimen, of a style that seemed to trickle out of the Erongo in 2007-2009. I am not sure how many pockets there were, but I AM sure that Charlie Key, who is based over there, acquired two of the finer examples for his collection just before he sold it to myself and a partner in 2007. This is a balanced, aesthetic small cab, with a fat central crystal measuring 1 inch across the termination. The termination is heliodor for a depth of 12 mm, and then beryl. There is no gradation! The change is sharp and sudden, and very striking. Both sidecar crystals are complete, though there are a few very minor dings here and there (as is typical with Erongo material). The major crystal is freestanding and complete all around. Joe Budd photo (I had this shot at Tucson for the Whats New report in MR)...and it IS illustrated now in the MAY-JUNE issue of Mineralogical Record (2010)

From the TYPE LOCALITY for this rare species, here is a beautiful, extremely metallic and lustrous, 9-mm crystal in a protected cavity of sugary dolomite matrix. From the collection of a longtime Lengenbach collector, which was sold off recently.