Deaccessions from the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences

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PAS-124 - Stibarsen - € 153 SOLD
American Eagle, Luona Occurrence, Elk Mountain District, Gunnison Co., Colorado (probable)
miniature, 4.7 x 3.2 x 3.2 cm
ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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This is a rich specimen of stibarsen, with spheroidal nodules and massive seams in ore matrix. Since we know this is from North or South America (as the collection was divided, it was in the North & South American group...), even though the label has somehow been lost since then, we know that this is not a European specimen and so is either from Gunnison Co., Colorado or from Ophir Mine in the Comstock Lode, Nevada. However the Nevada locality has no associations of red minerals listed as occurring there, while several occur in the Colorado locale - and this piece has small red flecks of two different species present on it. So although the locality is given without a confirming label, we think it to be a correct one.

PAS-125 - Esmeraldite - € 383
Esmeralda County, Nevada (TYPE LOCALITY)
miniature, 4.7 x 3.2 x 3.2 cm
ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

Sorry, we have no images of this specimen at present.

PAS-126 - Fillowite - € 575 SOLD
Sullivan Mine, Sullivan, New Hampshire
miniature, 4.8 x 3.9 x 1.5 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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An exceptionally rich example of a very rare manganese phosphate, that I personally had never even seen. However, I am told by those who know more than I do, that this is a very impressive piece, the best seen on the market certainly and better than a few major private holdings have (one source told me , after thinking about museum holdings he had seen, this may be the richest specimen known). The crystallization is both rich and frankly aesthetic, all things considered. It is on the front and the back. From what research I could do, the locality seems to have not yet been publicly reported to produce this species, although with the old Smithsonian label, I would tend to believe it. Its hard to make this stuff up....and there would have simply been no motive at the time. Exchanged from the Smithsonian to the Academy in the 1920s.

PAS-127 - Galena - € 230 SOLD
Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
miniature, 4.3 x 3.8 x 3.2 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A nice-sized, SHARP galena crystal of some significance because it is from the OLD lead district in northern Illinois, predating the discovery of the more abundant Missouri lead belts mined in the 1900s. This is certainly from the 1800s or early 1900s. The number painted upon the crystal's backside matches the label (whichnotes the presence of very small associations on the back, as well) Valid, antique crystals of galena, from Galena, are super-rare and this is not only a valid one, but a huge crystal in good condition for the locality. Some minor damage but all things considered, and its age probably prior to 1900, its not bad at all! I have not brightened it chemically by cleaning it, to preserve the antique look.

PAS-128 - Almandine Garnet in Muscovite - € 306
Spruce Pine, Avery County, North Carolina
small cabinet, 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.1 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A beautiful "windowpane" muscovite cleavage with bright, gemmy, sparkling red garnets sitting inside! Note it is like a sheet of plastic...you can see through to the stand behind it. Classic old material from this important historic locality. While mined into the later 1900s, most specimens of later years were ugly and dull incomparison to the bright association here.

PAS-129 - Jarosite & Natrojarosite (Utahite) - SOLD
Centennial Eureka Mine, Tintic District, East Tintic Mts, Juab Co., Utah
small cabinet, 9.4 x 6.2 x 2.5 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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"Utahite" came from only a small find in Utah, and this is a very old specimen from the type locality, featuring minute blue microcrystals on matrix with malachite, barite, and gods know what else - probably a whole schmear of microcrystallized rare copper minerals here! To confuse matters more, the name was discredited and this material was then shown to be jarosite/natrojarosite; and a NEW species named Utahite was then christened afterwards. This old "utahite" was a combination of jarosite or natrojarosite (this is way too old to be the newer species utahite). I don't know what the hell all this copper-rich stuff is, but it is really interesting as a historic specimen and from a great locality, and worth further study to somebody with the resources to pursue analysis.

PAS-130a - Annite - € 230 SOLD
Rockport, Cape Ann, Essex Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY)
small cabinet, 6.8 x 5.4 x 4.6 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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According to MINDAT this is an extremely rare member of the Mica Group in the Biotite-Phlogopite Series. Regardless, its the most oddly crystallized mica I have seen. It looks more like a dark phosphate than a mica. From the TYPE LOCALITY where it was first noted in 1868!

PAS-131 - Danalite - € 1111
Rockport, Cape Ann, Essex Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY)
small cabinet, 7.2 x 4.8 x 3.2 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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From the TYPE LOCALITY where it was first noted in 1866 during the Civil War, this is an OUTSTANDING, aesthetic, intensely colored danalite crystal, named after the great mineralogist. The crystal is approx. 2 cm tall. Danalite turns out to be a rare member of the helvite group, seldom crystallizing and most often found as masses in rock. Here we have a superb 3-dimensional crystal perched on matrix with amazonite feldspar and cryophilite, in quartz. According to MINDAT, cryophilite has been discredited by the IMA Mica subcommittee (betcha didn't know the world had such an important body of governors...). It is now considered on odd variety of Zinnwaldite, Fe-bearing trilithionite, or Fe-bearing polylithionite (again, according to MINDAT). The danalite crystal is 3-D, attractively displayed, and overall we hav ehere both a significant and attractive display specimen of something so rare and historic that most of us will probably never see again.

PAS-132 - Gibbsite - € 958 SOLD
Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY)
small cabinet, 8.9 x 4.8 x 3.9 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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From the TYPE LOCALITY where it was first noted in 1822 , this is an large and OUTSTANDING, aesthetic, drapery of the rare aluminum-containing species gibbsite upon host matrix. It was named after Colonel George Gibbs (1777-1834), original owner of the Gibbs mineral collection acquired by Yale University early in the nineteenth century (again, according to MINDAT). Gibbsite is an interesting aluminum hydroxide with very little heft to it, that otherwise tends to look like heavy smithsonite or hemimorphite at first glance. This specimen has a label IN HIS OWN HAND, from the famous collection of Charles Shephard. ex.Charles Shepherd Collection (1804-1886), whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him was with Benjamin Silliman's staff at Yale in 1827, as his assistant, and later as a lecturer on natural history at Yale (1830-1847) and then Amherst College. His large collection was donated to the Smithsonian, but afew specimens apparently found their way into the Academy collection, perhaps through trades with colleagues in the Philadelphia area.

PAS-133 - Diaspore - € 575
Chester Emery Mines, Chester, Hampden Co., Massachusetts
cabinet, 10.0 x 4.8 x 1.9 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A classic aluminum-containing mineral species from a very old American locality that was so important it was mined up. The diaspore was one of the two chiefly sought after minerals at the site. The diaspore, when deeply violet colored, is the queen of the location. This specimen has some decent color to it, but I have none to compare it to, in person. Note the flatlaying but clearly visible and defined crystals. From the noted W.W. Jefferis (1820-1906) Collection, and note the very early accession number of 1830 in the collection which eventually by the early 1900s numbered over 20,000 specimens.

PAS-134 - Wellsite - € 77 SOLD
Buck Creek Mine (Cullakenee Mine), Buck Creek, Clay Co., North Carolina (TYPE LOCALITY)
miniature, 4.5 x 4.2 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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According to MINDAT this species was discredited after many years, only in 1997. It is now thought to be either barian Phillipsite-Ca or calcian Harmotome - though I have not analysed this specimen to see which of these close relatives it trends to most. Originally described from Buck Creek Mine (Cullakenee Mine), Buck Creek, Clay Co., North Carolina, this locality. At the time, obviously, it was thought fairly important as it was owned by the great 1800's collector G. J. Brush who gave his collection to Yale...and then the Academy must have traded it from Yale to obtain a sample!

PAS-135 - Andalusite var. Chiastolite (reference set of thin sections) - € 958
Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts
cabinet, 14.6 x 10.7 x 0.2 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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So-called Chiastolite (a species name discredited some time ago) is a variety of Andalusite containg cross-shaped inclusions of carbon that make the crystals VERY distinct, for obvious reasons. Somebody went to a lot of trouble and time to make this attractive reference set of thin-sections, cut from the cores of over a dozen crystals. The set was obviously made up to shwo the different patterns possible within, perhaps to better study their formation. Shown in normal light and, dramatically, in backlit lighting.

PAS-146 - Enstatite var. Bronzite - € 728
Bare Hills Copper Mine (Smith Avenue Copper Mine), Bare Hills, Baltimore Co., Maryland
cabinet, 9.6 x 7.5 x 4.9 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A classic from a very old American locality that is a varietal of enstatite but apparently still a valid species as I read it. Note the curving, bronzy," well-defined crystals. From the noted W.W. Jefferis (1820-1906) Collection. According to MINDAT, this was a "copper mine located about 1 mile NW of Mt Washington and about 3 miles NW of Baltimore. Started 1845 and closed 1880. Reopened during the period 1905." Jefferis handling of the specimen would have been from the heyday of the mine, in the mid 1800s. Note the early musuem accession number 6846, as well. This is a big, somewhat showy, display-worthy specimen from a long-vanished locality, proably under a building for 100 years now.

PAS-147 - Oligoclase feldspar - € 77
Plumtree, Spruce Pine District, Avery Co., North Carolina
cabinet, 9.8 x 7.2 x 5.4 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A piece of massive, gemmy feldspar with a pleasing bluish color to it, famously used for carving in old times. It is more historic, then mineralogically interesting, as a sample from NC.

PAS-149 - Triphylite - € 115 SOLD
Palermo Mines, Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire
cabinet, 12.1 x 6.1 x 3.2 cm
ex.  Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences

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A specimen of massive or vein-filling triphyllite, with small dark crystals of what is probably vivianite upon its surfce.

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