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PAS-112 - Cobaltite - AUS$ 166 Espanola, Ontario, Canada large cabinet, 1.5 x 1.1 x 1.1 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A shockingly large crystal for this locality, from which cobaltite in crystalline form is already rare. Complete on all faces, except a small contact near the base and another in back. Unlike other material here, this was from a modern-day donation.
PAS-113 - Nantokite - AUS$ 332 SOLD Carmen Bajo Mine, Nantoko, Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 5.2 x 4.3 x 2.3 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A VERY rare example of a mineral I had not heard of until now, Copper Chloride pure and simple : CuCl. This is according to MINDAT a rare anhydrous copper chloride, known only from arid environments in its natural form. The description goes on to say that it is "Colourless and transparent when fresh. Unstable in humid air, and transforms slowly into greenish secondary Cu-hydroxchlorides" which overlay the natokite now, on its surface. However the crystal cores should remain nantokite, and there should also be material inside this rather large study specimen. From the type locality!
PAS-110 - Percylite - AUS$ 332 SOLD Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile small cabinet, 6.4 x 5.1 x 3.4 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A beautiful specimen of this rare mineral combination: apparently a strange admixture of Boleite & Pseudoboleite that is probably soon to be disallowed as a species name. Still, highly unusual, and with a color all its own.
PAS-114 - Percylite and Schwartzembergite, and Atacamite - AUS$ 332 SOLD Caracoles, Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile small cabinet, 7.6 x 4.7 x 3.1 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A beautiful specimen of this rare mineral combination: apparently a strange admixture of Boleite & Pseudoboleite that is probably soon to be disallowed as a species name. Still, highly unusual, and with a color all its own. To be frank, I haven't confirmed the presence of Schwartzembergite which is supposed to be a minute red stain...but I am pricing this, thus, as simply an attractive percylite and if you can find the Schwartzembergite, that is a bonus.
PAS-115a - Shortite - AUS$ 995 Green River Formation, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming (TYPE LOCALITY) small cabinet, 7.5 x 6.5 x 3 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
And you thought the Green River sandstone beds only produced fish and palm fossils, eh? Well, I did. I personally never realized that the TYPE LOCALITY for this rare sodium/calcium carbonate was in Wyoming, before now. This specimen is exceptionally rich with gemmy shortite crystals embedded in the sandstone, to 1 cm in size. This is rather large for the species , and for specimens from this locality if what i see on MINDAT is any indication. This specimen is one of two, which fit together and are thus descended from the same sample. It comes with the original label.
PAS-115b - Shortite - AUS$ 829 Green River Formation, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming (TYPE LOCALITY) small cabinet, 7 x 6 x 4 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
And you thought the Green River sandstone beds only produced fish and palm fossils, eh? Well, I did. I personally never realized that the TYPE LOCALITY for this rare sodium/calcium carbonate was in Wyoming, before now. This specimen is exceptionally rich with gemmy shortite crystals embedded in the sandstone, to 1 cm in size. This is rather large for the species , and for specimens from this locality if what i see on MINDAT is any indication. This specimen is one of two, which fit together and are thus descended from the same sample. It will come with a photocopy of the original label that came with both.
PAS-92 - Phlogopite - AUS$ 1382 Bancroft, Ontario, Canada cabinet, 34.7 x 26.3 x 1.6 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A HUGE cleavage section of mica variety phlogopite, from Ontario. These are old classics, and everybody knows they came out once upon a time but seldom do you see one so big and pure and fine. This is the kind of clean muscovite plates that could have been used for mica windows and lampshades in the old days. It is impressive mineralogically and historically. Weight is 4.6 pounds!
PAS-116 - Phlogopite - AUS$ 1659 Bancroft, Ontario, Canada cabinet, 35 x 25 x 1.7 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A HUGE cleavage section of mica variety phlogopite, from Ontario. These are old classics, and everybody knows they came out once upon a time but seldom do you see one so big and pure and fine. This is the kind of clean muscovite plates that could have been used for mica windows and lampshades in the old days. It is impressive mineralogically and historically. Weight is 4.9 pounds!
PAS-117 - Silver with Copper - AUS$ 1604 SOLD Keweenaw Peninsula (probably Houghton County), Michigan miniature, 4.4 x 3.8 x 2.2 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
This is a beautiful silver specimen with accents of native copper on some of the silver , which provide s areally nice contrast. The silver and copper metals are not intermixed. Although no old label comes with the specimen, it is numbered on the bottom ANSP#23423 which indicates an age in the 1930s, probably. Several of these crrystals exceed 1 cm individually, and about an inch in aggregate. The cluster has a swaying look to it, as if it is caught in motion, "moving."
PAS-118 - Andorite on Stannite - AUS$ 1051 SOLD San Jose Mine, Oruro City, Oruro Department, Bolivia cabinet, 11.8 x 7.2 x 3.7 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
SUPER-bright crystals to 7 mm of razor-sharp andorite , rare in such quality and with such lustre to them. This would be from early finds, perhaps even from the Vaux expeditions judging by the Academy accession number. There are bigger andorites, to be sure, then and now. However, as a whole, this is a really beautiful display specimen with iridescent matrix under the andorites. The matrix is stannite in tiny sharp , wildly iridescent crystals atop massive ore. I have not seen another like this!
PAS-119 - Ferro-axinite - AUS$ 664 SOLD Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, Northeast Region, Brazil miniature, 5.5 x 2.4 x 0.8 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
Most people today do not realize that before the finds from California and the Ural Mountains, in the last couple of decades, the world's best gem axinites came from Brazil (even if larger ones came rarely from Japan in the 1800s, they weren't gemmy). Bahia today produces many other minerals, but the axinite deposit seems to be gone. This beautiful, gemmy, transparent crystal is nearly a floater...it is doubly-terminated, but with a small contact on one tip. It has some minor edge wear, which is more obvious in the photos than in person and is not so very detracting given the size and age of the piece. According to museum records, this was in a Donahue collection.
PAS-120 - Vauxite - AUS$ 995 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Potosi Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 2.6 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
This is a gorgeous, complete, pristine, 5.5-mm spray of intense blue vauxite crystals , perched on stannite, from the type locality for the vauxite species. These species (3 of them) are all named after the generous philanthropist who funded four Academy expeditions to South America in search of specimens for the museum. Although the specimen has no Vaux Expedition label, its numbering in the 20,000's indicates a time in the early 1900's when expedition specimens were being sent back to the museum. Small, but choice example of type locality vauxite, in its original habit now not seen inmodern specimens.
PAS-121 - Atacamite - AUS$ 1327 Collahuasi Mine, Collahuasi district, Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile (TYPE LOCALITY) small cabinet, 6.4 x 5.2 x 3.8 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
This is a complexly intergrown mass of crystallized atacamite, in huge crystals unlike any I have seen from Chile. It is 100% crystals, some damaged and contacted, and some not. I have never myself seen another specimen from this remote copper mine located 170 km SE of Iquique. Discovered over 200 years ago and sent back to Europe for study, atacamite was named from this region's specimens. NOTE that this is thought to be the specific mine locality for the species (though usually the type locality is given simply as "in the Atacama Desert"...see IMA list of type specimen locations).
PAS-122 - Atacamite - AUS$ 1272 SOLD Atacama Desert Region, Chile cabinet, 9.8 x 9.6 x 7.2 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
This dramatic large display specimen features sharp, wet-looking, lustrous crystals to 6 or 7mm, draping over 2 sides of a handsized matrix of solid, massive atacamite (and presumably other coppe rminerals mixed in). The 3-dimensional quality of these crystals, their habit, is quite unlike atacmite found in this region today. To be sure it is what we thought it to be, we had this analysed for confirmation. It is atacamite, if a most unusual specimen!
PAS-123 - Aragonite with copper inclusions - AUS$ 2212 SOLD Manto Cuba Mine, Inca de Oro, Chañaral Province, Atacama Region, Chile cabinet, 20.2 x 9.3 x 7.9 cm ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
This is a beautiful specimen, pure and simple. Regardless of anything else. The surreal blue color looks fake, painted. However, the color is actually due to copper inclusions. Note the obvious presence of a rare green mineral in small , sharp crystals: probably libethenite or brochantite. Both are found at the mine, and I have a sample sent out for analysis now.
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