|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
PAS-60 Chalcopyrite var. "Blister Copper" - $2500 (SOLD) Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut CABINET, 9.7 x 7.5 x 4.8 cm
This mine was founded in 1837 and mined continuously at peak production through the US Civil War, reaching its heyday by 1900 although it remained open until 1953. Here we have a historic, significant, and luckily gorgeous specimen of the botryoidal variety of chalcopyrite called "blister copper" by the miners. It is the finest such example I have seen for sale on the market, outside of the museum collections on the East Coast. It is colorful, 3-dimensional, and large. It is also complete all around. As they are heavy and ore-rich, and were not thought as collectible at the time as the sharp chalcocites from this old mining locality, ironically fewer specimens probably survive today. At least, I see them even less on the market than the equally historic chalcocites, so this is my assumption as to why. NOTE: THE HANDWRITTEN LABEL IS FROM WILLIAM SANSOM VAUX!
PAS-61 Chabazite var. Haydenite with Heulandite - $400 Jones Falls Quarries, Baltimore, Baltimore Co., Maryland CABINET, 16.6 x 9.2 x 3.7 cm
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-62 Atacamite - $450 Copiapσ Province, Atacama Region, Chile (TYPE LOCALITY) CABINET, 11.0 x 9.5 x 4.3 cm
A large, showy specimen from the type locality for this important collectible copper species, with many areas of beautiful, intense deep green crystals flatlaying on the matrix (on both sides). From the noted collection of TB Wilson, whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him joined the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia in 1832, and was the Academy's principal benefactor. His collection was donated upon his death in 1865 .
PAS-63 Chromite - $100 (SOLD) Baltimore, Maryland SMALL CABINET, 7.4 x 7.0 x 5.3 cm
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 - $200 (SOLD) Crestmore quarries, Crestmore, Riverside Co., California SMALL CABINET, 7.6 x 7.5 x 4.4 cm
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 - $350 (SOLD) Victor Mine, Cripple Creek, Colorado CABINET, 13.1 x 7.5 x 6.4 cm
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-66 Barite - $2250 Cheshire, New Haven Co., Connecticut CABINET, 16.3 x 10.7 x 5.8 cm
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 VERY MINOR edge wear, only. To preserve the antique look, I have not cleaned the piece and in fact it still has original pocket clay material adhering. It really seems microcrystallized or contacted but terminated, almost all around - except on the bottom where it is cleaved off a large matrix mass. 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-68 Barite - $800 Cheshire, New Haven Co., Connecticut ex. William Vaux Collection CABINET, 12.1 x 11.2 x 2.6 cm
An unusually robust single crystal of barite from this locality, with good gemminess and high lustre. It has not been cleaned, to preserve the antique look. It is cleaved on the sides (one side bearing the Vaux label, though!), and has a little damage to the top-left termination portion. However, it displays well , overall, and has great brightness to it. From the noted collection of William S. Vaux (1811-1882), whom according to the Mineralogical Record Archive on him Vaux was elected to Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences in March 1834, and later served as curator from 1838. "Vaux began collecting minerals about 1820, and through purchases built the finest collection of minerals ever assembled up to that time in the United States, sparing "neither time, labor nor money." ...By 1883 (after his death) , the Vaux collection had been transferred to the Academy's museum and was arranged in seven upright cases and 39 horizontal cases.". 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-67 Kyanite - $1800 Litchfield, Litchfield Co., Connecticut CABINET, 19.0 x 6.5 x 5.8 cm
A significant East Coast kyanite of display quality! This specimen is terminated (if crudely so as the species usually shows), and is a rare large survivor from these old quarries. It has good blue color, although dampened a bit by the natural brown oxides adhering - though I have chosen not to clean the stains and pocket clay off to preserve the antique look of the piece and thus help distinguish it from Brazilian material. However, it does have associated muscovite, as well, which in person looks quite different than anything Brazil produces with the contemporary kyanite - so I think even if cleaned to spitfire shine, this would be a distinct piece to the trained eye.
PAS-69 Kyanite - $375 Chesterfield, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts CABINET, 10 x 7.7 x 2.6 cm
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 - $750 (SOLD) Roxbury, Litchfield Co., Connecticut CABINET, 11.6 x 9.7 x 5.0 cm
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 - $2500 Maxwell Quarry, Wakefield, Stanstead Co., Quιbec, Canada SMALL CABINET, 7.5 x 6 x 4 cm
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 - $1500 Chuquicamata Mine, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region, Chile CABINET, 24.6 x 14.3 x 7.5 cm
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 - $750 (SOLD) Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) Thumbnail, 2.9 x 1.5 x 1.2 cm
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 - $200 (SOLD) Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) Thumbnail, 3.1 x 1.6 x 1.1 cm
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-73c Metavauxite - $200 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) Thumbnail, 1.9 x 1.4 x 1.1 cm
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 - $4000 (SOLD) Copper Harbor, Houghton Co., Michigan SMALL CABINET, 8.0 x 5.2 x 4.3 cm
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-75 Erythrite - $750 La Blanco Mine (Blanca Mine), Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile SMALL CABINET, 6.1 x 3.3 x 0.9 cm
A beautiful, thin plate covered by sharp, metallic, acicular erythrite crystals. 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." We know that this specimen was given by Dr. Domeyko, who sent many study samples to the Academy during its heyday, which also coincided with his own heyday in studying the rare minerals of this part of the world.
PAS-76 Erythrite - $250 La Blanco Mine (Blanca Mine), Freirina, Huasco Province, Atacama Region, Chile CABINET, 17.0 x 10.5 x 5.5 cm
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."
All Content and Design ©1996-2010 The ArkenstoneBy-species Galleries |
