Deaccessions from the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences

US$ € EURO ¥ YEN £ POUND CAN$ AUS$
(click on a page number to go to that page:)

page 11 / 12 - prev - 167 specimens selected - next - bottom - back to the Galleries

PAS-47 - Aramayoite - SOLD
Animas Mine, Atocha-Quechisla District, Sud Chichas Province, Potos� Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY)
cabinet, 10.6 x 6.2 x 3.3 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

Aramayoite is a very rare silver sulfide species containing tin, and bismuth. This is material fro mthe type locality from which it was described in 1926 , collected only a few years later in 1929-1930 on the fourth Vaux-family-sponosred mineralogical expedition to South America. This is a rich sample of silver and tin ore which has a vug of pocket crystals (microcrystals, sub-mm druse) and also exposed, flay-laying embedded crystals of aramayoite to 4mm which show mettalic, mirror-like faces on the upper-right part of the specimen.

PAS-48 - Barite - SOLD
Cheshire, New Haven Co., Connecticut, USA
cabinet, 23.5 x 14.1 x 3.3 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

This is one of the largest Cheshire barites I have personally seen in anything resembling good form, to survive from the mid to late 1800s era of mining here. Apparently the deposit was quite rich in barite, but I cannot imagine based on the survivors I have seen that such a large piece as this was very common in good form. And, remarkably, it IS largely intact, and has made it through unrepaired. There is some edge wear, of course, along the left edge and at the rear of the termination - but it displays very well nonetheless and I think in context those bruises are minor. The right side is naturally rough, due to contacted faces which seem to be terminated and not broken. To emphasize that fact, I have not cleaned the piece and in fact it still has original pocket clay material adhering to that side to prove there are no clean breaks during or after mining. It really seems microcrystallized or contacted but terminated, all around - even on the bottom. A historic, remarkable specimen of barite from one of the early USA's more important mining locales!
Thank you to James Zigras, who found in an old pamphlet published by the Chesire Historical Society the following information: the exact locale is the JINNY HILL MINE and it operated from 1838-1877. The first barite mine in the US , it was mined for the manufacture of paints in NYC. It was discovered by Benjamin Silliman (of Yale) and noted by him in 1813. He claims the mine was named for "an elderly negress who lived in that area." The vein was followed for a depth of 480 feet and several miles of tunnel were mined. At its height of production in the mid-1800s, it employed 200 people.

PAS-61 - Chabazite var. Haydenite with Heulandite - SOLD
Jones Falls Quarries, Baltimore, Baltimore Co., Maryland, USA
cabinet, 16.6 x 9.2 x 3.7 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

A large specimen hosting dozens of sharp chabazite crystals showing a golden, iridescent, almost metallic lustre. Although small, to about 2mm, the crystals really stand out dramatically because of their sharp geometry and riveting color - more so in person, please note. The earliest reference I found to this quarry was Maryland Geologic Survey, Vol. VIII (1898), as listed on MINDAT, which describes the locality as "A quarry in gneiss located within Baltimore City." This matrix shows the layered gneiss on the backside with the layer of zeolite deposition on top, and so the full environment of the pocket is here. The heulandite is present as almost acicular, oddlooking black sprays laying horizontally on the matrix, much of which is coated with a thin layer of siderite or calcite atop (I think). It is easy to see, from the odd habits of both species, why the specimens from this quarry were thought to be new species at the time: "Haydenite" is Chabazite; and "Beaumontite" is Heulandite, today. Can easily be broken into several study specimens, by the way.

PAS-63 - Chromite - SOLD
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
small cabinet, 7.4 x 7.0 x 5.3 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

I am not quite sure what this is, but it is labelled "Green oxide of Chromium" from Baltimore, and comes with a presentation label apparently from a Doctor in Baltimore who presented the sample to the Academy.

PAS-64 - Riversideite - SOLD
Crestmore quarries, Crestmore, Riverside Co., California, USA
small cabinet, 7.6 x 7.5 x 4.4 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

Named after its discovery locality circa 1917, this is an old matrix specimen showing several veins of striated, parallel-grown crystals of this rare silicate. The Riversideite is embedded in matrix with gemmy olive-green vesuvianite crystals. Surely, there are many veins of the material distributed throughout this large specimen, were it to be broken up for study or resale.

PAS-65 - Sylvanite - SOLD
Victor Mine, Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA
cabinet, 13.1 x 7.5 x 6.4 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

A large matrix specimen with a front display area showing brilliantly metallic elongated crystals of sylvanite, on white quartz. Typical for the locality, excellent reference example (and big), with good old labels.

PAS-69 - Kyanite - SOLD
Chesterfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA
cabinet, 10 x 7.7 x 2.6 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

Curving, blue kyanite crystals to 6 cm in a schist matrix. Attractive, and a historic classic locality! Interestingly this is the type locality for microlite.

PAS-70 - Siderite - SOLD
Roxbury, Litchfield Co., Connecticut, USA
cabinet, 11.6 x 9.7 x 5.0 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

e Roxbury Iron Mines are very famous and first discovered in 1750! They were a big part of early American mining. This is a hefty specimen of solid siderite, with sharp, really lustrous crystals atop a 3-dimensional knoll of the massive siderite below. It is very attractive, with an unusually good lustre frankly unlike anything else I have seen from the US and very similar to material from Stolberg in the old Harz district, Germany. This is a large, impressive, showpiece.

PAS-71x - Geikelite - SOLD
Maxwell Quarry, Wakefield, Stanstead Co., Qu�bec, Canada
small cabinet, 7.5 x 6 x 4 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Geikelite from Maxwell Quarry, Wakefield, Stanstead Co., Qu�bec, Canada [db_pics/pics/pas-71xa.jpg]

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Geikelite from Maxwell Quarry, Wakefield, Stanstead Co., Qu�bec, Canada [db_pics/pics/pas-71xb.jpg]

Geikelite is a rare magnesium titanium oxide, found usually in microcrystals or masses. It is the magnesium analogue of Ilmenite. Here we have a huge mass of geikelite (perhaps a record on its own) about 3 inches in size with distinct big xls over 1 cm in size embedded within it and displaying nicely on one face. It shows metallic lustre and some sharp twinning. From what i can see on MINDAT, its off the charts - confirmed via communications with several collectors of rarities and the Royal Ontario Museum, of which nobody has seen remotely the like of this one. I am thus told that this may be the best known by several people I ran it by, and the locality is very old and now completely defunct in terms of specimen production (though the walls are apparently accessible, the quarry has been unworked since closure in 1968) . The quarry was one of the more recent mining operations in the area, the majority of other workings having taken place between 1900-1935. Operations at Maxwell started 1942, ended 1968. I would like to relate that Dr. Mark Feinglos told me this is an order of magnitude better than his specimen, which he thought was pretty good already!

PAS-72 - Antlerite - SOLD
Chuquicamata Mine, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile
cabinet, 24.6 x 14.3 x 7.5 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

A HUGE plate of antlerite from the best locality for the species, with lots of color splash and display value. Although the crystals seem small, there are 3 fine core areas, with sharp crystals to 3 or 4mm. The rest is flatlaying, acrystalline, or damaged but still colorful. The piece is about 10 inches in size...It probably should be trimmed into 3 core specimens, each of which would be worth $1000-1500 based on others I have seen for sale over the years. However, I have never seen such a large plate and it seems a shame to break it down to make more aesthetic, smaller specimens, when there is some significance to having the preservation of size here.

PAS-73a - Metavauxite - SOLD
Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potos� Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY)
thumbnail, 2.9 x 1.5 x 1.2 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

Sorry, we have no images of this specimen at present.
Metavauxite is the rarest of the related vauxite family members: paravauxite; metavauxite; and vauxite. It is a monoclinic dimorph of the already rare paravauxite, with clearly different crystal habit when seen in person. This is an aesthetic cluster of sharp crystals, from the type locality - surely, given its history in this collection, collected before or close to the time it was being identified as a new species.

PAS-73b - Metavauxite - SOLD
Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potos� Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY)
thumbnail, 3.1 x 1.6 x 1.1 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

Sorry, we have no images of this specimen at present.
Metavauxite is the rarest of the related vauxite family members: paravauxite; metavauxite; and vauxite. It is a monoclinic dimorph of the already rare paravauxite, with clearly different crystal habit when seen in person. This is an aesthetic cluster of sharp crystals, from the type locality - surely, given its history in this collection, collected before or close to the time it was being identified as a new species.

PAS-74 - Copper - SOLD
Copper Harbor, Houghton Co., Michigan, USA
small cabinet, 8.0 x 5.2 x 4.3 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

This specimen features a HUGE, 7 x 4 x 3 cm copper crystal, pointed at one end (see top-left photo) and dramatically more robust at the top, nicely perched on a small amount of lightweight matrix. It can be displayed horizontally or vertically to equal effect. It is an AMAZING, 3-dimensional specimen in person, with huge visual appeal, historic import, and aesthetic quality even by modern standards. Copper crystals of this size, and in this quality, are uncommonly preserved and available today. Copper Harbor is an old mining district that ended up not being as productive as mines further south, and was abandoned after mining for only a few years. This would date to the late 1800s or early 1900s.

PAS-76 - Erythrite - SOLD
La Blanco Mine (Blanca Mine), Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile
cabinet, 17.0 x 10.5 x 5.5 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Erythrite from La Blanco Mine (Blanca Mine), Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile [db_pics/pics/pas-76a.jpg]

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Erythrite from La Blanco Mine (Blanca Mine), Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile [db_pics/pics/pas-76b.jpg]

This large matrix specimen is apparently an ore rich in colbaltite/cobalt, and it hosts atop a niec 6-cm-tall display face of beautiful, metallic, acicular erythrite crystals. I am tempted to trim this patch off the big rock, but the overall piece shows so much about the environment, and preserves vein formations, it is too interesting to break up. They sparkle in any light. According to MINDAT: La Blanco is a small Co-Cu deposit close to the town of Freirina; mined on a small scale in the 19th century (Ref.: Maurizio Dini). It is the most likely source for this specimen because a xerox of the original museum label (with specimen PAS-182a) gives "San Juan, Chili" as the locality, and because that label also states the presence of "Asbolite." Asbolite is a now-discredited name for a "cobaltian wad" of interlocking acicular erythrite crystals. According to MINDAT, this is the only documented old locality which produced both erythrite and "asbolite."

PAS-82 - Gold - SOLD
Paucarbamba, Peru
miniature, 3.7 x 2.7 x 2.5 cm

share specimen

ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:	CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

A remarkable locality piece consisting of a single complex crystal, embedded in quartz. The crystal is 8mm tall, and quite robust. It is sharpest on one face, compared to the others, but it IS clearly a squashed octohedral crystal and not a mass or nugget style. We are still researching this locality. Dr. Jaroslav Hyrsl provides the following information:I never heard about, it must be a misspelling. I found two localities of

(click on a page number to go to that page:)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

page 11 / 12 - prev - 167 specimens selected - next - top - back to the Galleries

Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The Arkenstone

Powered by http://mineralwebsites.com
Mineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id.