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For more information on the amazing history of the collections of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences assembled between 1812 and the 1950's: please see the Mineralogical Record site's label and history archives: CLICK HERE
PAS-01 – Cassiterite (iridescent) - $195 Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia CABINET, 10.4 x 6.2 x 5.6 cm
A remarkably odd cassiterite with rainbow iridescence on the crystal surfaces, which sit protected inside a 2.5 cm vug in matrix of ore material. Very unusual, I haven't seen the effect before in this species.
PAS-02 – Stephanite - $900 Cerro de Pasco, Pasco Province, Pasco Department, Peru SMALL CABINET, 9.1 x 8.7 x 4.8 cm
A significant specimen for the locality, in that it features rare stephanite - which I had not before seen from here - in unusual elongated crystals to 2 cm. Although much damage is present, there are also some complete crystals and the piece overall is very rich and heavy, almost entirely silver ore and stephanite/Its smelt value is probably substantial, aside from that its a large crystallized mass of stephanite!
PAS-03 – Chalcophyllite - $750 Mananna, 10m N.E. of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil SMALL CABINET, 7.9 x 6.3 x 3.1 cm
I would never have imagined this copper species from this gem mining district but here we have a rather specific locality given, too! This specimen of drusy crystallized chalcophyllite is a rarity: the only one I have handled from Brazil. Although the crystals are small it is overall a pretty, sparkling specimen with lots of color coverag. After consulting a few others, I could not find any specimens of this material elsewhere for comparison. However, I have no doubt it is legitimate. It is simply too strange to make up and every now and then, we do get some copper mineralization in Brazil turn up - though it is rare.
PAS-04 – Manganite - $600 Lake Superior, Michigan SMALL CABINET, 7.7 x 7.6 x 4.6 cm
An old specimen with interlocking sprays of manganite, to 2.5 cm, embedded in ore matrix. Classic old material from Michigan's brief heyday of mining a few other elements besides copper, but rarely seen today on the market
PAS-05 – Clinoclase - $450 Missoula County, Montana SMALL CABINET, 7.2 x 5.1 x 3.1 cm
A very rich and colorful specimen of microcrystalline clinoclase from an unlikely locality I wouldn't have thought of by today's hit list for the species....Missoula , Montana! Although the crystals are micros, the piece overall is rich and colorful, and obviously a historic rarity for the mining districts of Montana.
PAS-06 – Teallite and Wurtzite on Cassiterite - $1500 (SOLD) Ichocollo Mine (Monserrat Mine), Monserrat-Antequera district, Poopó Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia miniature, 4.6 x 2.8 x 3.4 cm
Collected from one of the famous Vaux expeditions of the early 1900's, this is a rare matrix teallite specimen featuring a pocket-growth teallite crystal measuring 1.3 cm long, perched safely in a protected vug of wurtzite crystals , all in a matrix of cassiterite ore. The slender yellow crystals may be greenockite but I have not had them analysed so that is a bonus,if so. Freestanding , sharp teallite crystals are very uncommon, and this is a good one as it has matrix hosting it. Teallite normally forms as foliated masses or contacted ugly lumpy pieces, so this is, for what it is, quite a beauty. According to Mindat, this was an early locality for finds of teallite and material from this district provided type specimens of the species. This locality is reported as far back as The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University, 1837-1892. As an additional note, I am pretty certain with my contacts that there have been no new finds of TEALLITE in this region despite extensive recent specimen collecting for species such as potosiite, zinkenite, and andorite which were found. MUCH BETTER IN PERSON!
PAS-07 – Pentlandite - $75 (SOLD) Sudbury, Ontario, Canada SMALL CABINET, 7.2 x 5.9 x 3.1 cm
This is a rich ore sample, containing a mixture of several sulfide minerals: pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite. Self-collected by curator Sam Gordon, in 1932! The label probably is in his handwriting
PAS-08 – Jamesonite - $250 (SOLD) Porvenir Mine, Huanuni, Dalence Province, Bolivia CABINET, 11.2 x 11.0 x 3.2 cm
A massively heavy specimen of pure jamesonite, with flat-laying acicular crystals atop ore, from one of the famus Vaux expeditions in the early 1900s. Rare in such size and richness. There may be other rare species present here, to be identified from thin sections, as much of interest was found in the old deposits here.
PAS-09 – Haggite - $250 (SOLD) Ambrosia Lake area, Grants District, McKinley County, New Mexico SMALL CABINET, 7.6 x 6.2 x 4.3 cm
Haggite is a rare hydrated vanadate, present here as black rims of microcrystals around some yellow mineralization.
PAS-10 – Topaz - $200 (SOLD) Old Tungsten Mine (Old Mine Park), Trumbull, Fairfield Co., Connecticut CABINET, 11.3 x 5.5 x 5.3 cm
A huge, rocklike topaz crystal , which is actually typical of old material found in Connecticut in the early 1800s and even prior. Perhaps something is included within the topaz to give it the earthy look? this is a large specimen with a contact termination on one end. Ugly, but historic - this is the first tungsten deposit discovered in North America!
PAS-11 – Copiapite - $ (SOLD) Alcaparrosa Mine, Cerritos Bayos, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile CABINET, 11.9 x 7.4 x 4.0 cm
Super-sharp, lustrous , mica-like crystals of copiapite in unusually big sizes to 8mm, richly decorate this large matrix specimen. It can perhaps be broken into several pieces, each equally good and rich for the species. I have not often seen such nice, isolated crystals. The piece is just plain attractive on its own merits, but is also significant, I think.
PAS-12 – Atacamite - $450 Copiapó Province, Atacama Region, Chile (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 6.8 x 6.2 x 4.5 cm
This specimen is a historic atacamite from the type locality for the species (named circa 1801!) and is a style found only way back when, compared to the less robustly crystallized style of crystallization found in recent mining projects at this same locale. The sharp crystals are to 3-4 mm and highly lustrous, with a translucent dark evergreen color when strongly lit. Some damage, on this piece, but also many great crystals and pockets are preserved as well, and it is colorful and showy overall.
PAS-13 – Botryogen included in Gypsum - $1250 (SOLD) Sierra Gorda District, Tocopilla Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile SMALL CABINET, 9.0 x 7.7 x 6.4 cm
Bright, cherry-red crystals of gypsum to 2.5 cm are colored by rich inclusions of the rare species botrygen, in this unusual specimen that is both historic and beautiful. Note how the best included areas show crystals, acicular needles, of botrygen shooting through the selenite! The little cavity with the major crystals is protected, and host also to freestanding botrygen crystals around the selenite terminations. This has to also be the oldest Wards label I have seen personally go through my hands, probably dating to the late 1800s. Note that, interestingly, on his label, Ward did not identify the red substance - botrygen was added in later in a different hand. On the museum label, they thenmisidentified the inclusions as a crocoite at first, an error later corrected when the material was further studied. The Chilean suite of this collection was particularly important.
PAS-14 – Topaz - $75 (SOLD) Old Tungsten Mine (Old Mine Park), Trumbull, Fairfield Co., Connecticut SMALL CABINET, 7.5 x 6.2 x 4.5 cm
A "rocklike" , included topaz from old finds in Connecticut. Ugly, but historic - this is the first tungsten deposit discovered in North America!
PAS-15 – Schröckingerite - $125 (SOLD) La Soberania Mine, San Isidro, Mendoza, Argentina miniature, 5.0 x 3.1 x 2.4 cm
Rare uranium species, yellow microcrystals in contrasting matrix. Apparently a very uncommon example and the only reported species yet for this remote lcoality.
PAS-16 – Cordierite var. Iolite - $200 (SOLD) Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut SMALL CABINET, 8.6 x 6.4 x 3.7 cm
This is a historic, important US locality. I have not, however, seen a display-worthy specimen of cordierite from here before. This specimen is typical to my eye of Newfoundland material for color, a shimmering iridescence, and composed of micaceous crystal plates layered one against the other.
PAS-17 – Danburite (from TYPE LOCALITY!) - $300 (SOLD) Danbury, Fairfield Co., Connecticut SMALL CABINET, 7.7 x 6.1 x 1.9 cm
A mass of danburite, showing some crude crystal faces, from the important type locality for the species. Probably from the early 1800s! According to Mindat: This is the type locality for danburite, the actual site has been destroyed by development. A high-rise building sits on the site.
PAS-18 – Sillimanite - $200 (SOLD) Yantic Falls, Norwich, New London Co., Connecticut CABINET, 11.4 x 6.2 x 4.6 cm
Flatlaying, lustrous crystals of sillimanite (to 3 cm) embedded in schist matrix, a rich specimen from a historic old locality.
PAS-19 – Brackebuschite - $350 Venus Mine, Sierra de Cordoba, Argentina (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 6.5 x 4.0 x 2.2 cm
A specimen with microcrystals of Brackebuschite, from the type locality! These were found as far back as the 1880s and named after a prominent Argentine mineralogist. According to MINDAT: A rare secondary mineral occurring in the oxidized zones of hydrothermal Pb-Zn deposits. From the noted collection of William Drown, whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him was an umbrella manufacturer who used his fortune to amass a collection of some 6000 mineral specimens. His collection was kept by his family for a generation after his death and then donated in 1918 . There is a lot of descloizite in the material from here. The brackebuschite is in clusters of almost acicular xls, very minute. Quite rare, and this would be cheap if the material is good (of which I am admittedly no judge)
PAS-35 – Brackebuschite - $250 Venus Mine, Sierra de Cordoba, Argentina (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 3.8 x 3.4 x 2.6 cm
A specimen rich with coverage of microcrystallized Brackebuschite, from the type locality! These were found as far back as the 1880s and named after a prominent Argentine mineralogist. According to MINDAT: A rare secondary mineral occurring in the oxidized zones of hydrothermal Pb-Zn deposits. Note the dating by the label as "Argentine Republic" . There is a lot of descloizite in the material from here. The brackebuschite is in clusters of almost acicular xls, very minute. Quite rare, and this would be cheap if the material is good (of which I am admittedly no judge)
PAS-20 – Sillimanite - $300 (SOLD) Chester, Middlesex Co., Connecticut (TYPE LOCALITY) CABINET, 12.4 x 7.1 x 2.7 cm
Another large specimen of the mineral sillimanite, named surely near the time this was found after Professor Silliman of Yale, with more 3-dimensional but embedded crystals. An interesting historic example probably from the type locality. 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-21 – Natrophilite with lithiophilite - $200 (SOLD) Abija N. Fillow Quarry (Branchville Quarry), Branchville, Redding, Fairfield Co., Connecticut (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm
A rare phosphate, from the TYPE LOCALITY circa late 1800s. ex. GJ Brush collection at Yale, so obviously this was considered an important enough representative example that the Academy had to trade for it, to get the species. I cannot speak to the quality myself, never having seen one, but Brush was pretty well known for good taste...Specimen was sent to Dr. Mark Feinglos who reports the following: Clearly Yale didn't send them their best piece! There is some on there, though, although not very much, but it is a nice specimen in particular because it has a few sharp microxls of lithiophilite (rare in xls; I only had some from Foote Mine), and some nice metaswitzerite, as well as some acicular tufts of a yellow mineral I can't identify, which isn't a form natrophilite should have
PAS-22 – Genthite - $50 (SOLD) Jackson Co., North Carolina SMALL CABINET, 9.1 x 5.6 x 4.9 cm
A vein of massive yellow genthite, a Kaolinite-Serpentine group mineral related to chrysotile, in sandstone. From the noted collection of William Drown, whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him was an umbrella manufacturer who used his fortune to amass a collection of some 6000 mineral specimens. His collection was kept by his family for a generation after his death and then donated in 1918.
PAS-23 – Triploidite - $200 (SOLD) Abija N. Fillow Quarry (Branchville Quarry), Branchville, Redding, Fairfield Co., Connecticut (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 7.0 x 4.8 x 2.6 cm
A rare phosphate, from the TYPE LOCALITY circa late 1800s. The triploidite is the radiating, embedded, marginally crystalline reddish material, I think. I cannot speak to the quality myself, never having seen one. From the noted collection of William Drown, whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him was an umbrella manufacturer who used his fortune to amass a collection of some 6000 mineral specimens. His collection was kept by his family for a generation after his death and then donated in 1918.
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