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PAS-81 Paravauxite - $1500 Siglo Veinte Mine (Siglo XX Mine; Llallagua Mine), Llallagua, Potosν Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) CABINET, 23.7 x 18.0 x 5.0 cm
A rich plate with DOZENS of sharp, translucent, beautiful crystals running all over it, to 1.2 cm in length; and many of which are doubly-terminated. A vein of some white phosphate material runs through the middle. Despite its size, this plate, and the hundred-plus crystals on it, are largely unscathed. Coverage on the back is more sparse, but with larger crystals to 1.75 cm. The piece is quite displayworthy and comes with a nice original label. Almost certainly this was field-collected on one of the famous Vaux expeditions in the early 1900s. TYPE LOCALITY MATERIAL: Paravauxite was described in 1922 and so it is not a huge leap of faith to assume this specimen and others in the Academy collections came from some of the same sources at the same time as the type study material.
PAS-82 Gold - $900 Paucarbamba, Peru miniature, 3.7 x 2.7 x 2.5 cm
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 vein gold called Paucarbamba in a list of gold occurrences from 1934, one is in Huanuco dept. and one is in Hunacavelica dept.. As of this moment, we are not sure which it may be.
PAS-83 Enargite in ore - $50 (SOLD) Cerro de Pasco, Pasco Department, Peru SMALL CABINET, 5.9 x 4.6 x 4.4 cm
A hefty piece of , basically, ore. It has a pocket with a few very sharp crystals of enargite of unusual form, mistaken once for luzonite.
PAS-84 Ulexite - $300 Arequipa, Arequipa Province, Arequipa Department, Peru SMALL CABINET, 9 x 8.5 x 5.0 cm
Hayesine is a discredited species name now shown to be the same as the previously described species Ulexite. This is, however, a VERY fine, rich, and large example of ulexite from Peru! It is crystallized in globular clusters, and complete all around.
PAS-86 Cubanite with Maucherite, Valleriite - $950 (SOLD) Mackinaw Mine, Monte Cristo, Snohomish County, Washington CABINET, 12.6 x 9.2 x 5.1 cm
A hefty ore specimen, with probably tons of material stuck inside it as well as what you see on the outside, judging by the look of it. I think the cubanite (and associated more rare species) fills thin fracture seams within. On the exposed main face, there are dozens of thin, flatlaying cubanite crystals to 7mm in size. I had never seen cubanite from a US locality, before. According to the MINDAT entry on this mine, it produced ore from 1900-1910. Apparently this specimen was exchanged to the Academy by the Smithsonian. I am not sure if the reference on the Smithsonian label indicates this particular piece was referenced in 1958, or just the locality itself, in that article.
PAS-87a - Native Copper - $1000 Ore Knob Mine, Ore Knob, Ashe Co., North Carolina SMALL CABINET, 6.0 x 4.9 x 4.6 cm
A very rich specimen of solid copper, fairly important for what it is, of native copper from North Carolina. This certainly dates to the 1800s. I have never seen such a rich, well crystallized specimen. It has a reliable old label glued to the specimen itself, lest there be any doubt.
PAS-87b Native Copper - $300 (SOLD) Ore Knob Mine, Ore Knob, Ashe Co., North Carolina Miniature, 5.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm
Like the above piece, this is fairly important for what it is: a rare exmaple from one of the early mines for native copper from North Carolina. This certainly dates to the 1800s. It has a reliable old label glued to the specimen itself, lest there be any doubt.
PAS-88 Brazilianite - $400 (SOLD) Palermo Mine, North Groton, New Hampshire CABINET, 10.8 x 10.3 x 8.9 cm
Self-collected by curator Sam Gordon in 1948, according to the label, this is a fine brazilianite crystal by any standard except Brazil itself. It features sharp yellow crystals in a quartz vug, to 1.1 cm...huge for the locality! Rare material for this locality or for any US locale.
PAS-89 Stannite ore - $150 (SOLD) Pirquitas Ag-Sn Deposit, Rinconada Department, Jujuy, Argentina CABINET, 12.6 x 8.3 x 4.4 cm
A solid, HEAVY, 3.7-pound ore sample of massive "stannite" from this unusual locality, undoubtedly containing other minerals as well. I am told that little research was done on rarities present in ores recovered here in the early days, and that there is suspicion based on recent studies of a wide variety of rare tin and silver minerals like pirquitasite, present in old ore specimens like this (perhaps if only as thin sections waiting to be identified by somebody who wants to spend the time). The list of minerals present in this rich deposit (see MINDAT), is daunting already.
PAS-90 Anatase - $125 (SOLD) West Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts CABINET, 9.6 x 8.5 x 6.2 cm
Apparently given to the Academy by the great mineralogist Charles Palache, this specimen has rare anatase crystals from Massachusetts. They are hard to see, but present as sub-mm orange-brown crystals amidst diopside and other minerals on this handsized specimen. Significant and rare for the locality. From the MINDAT entry on this locality: Pegmatite pipes in a riebeckite-aegirine granite. Granite quarry opened before 1856. (Note: Often simply referred to as the Quincy Quarry.
PAS-91 Danalite - $600 (SOLD) Rockport, Essex Co., Massachusetts CABINET, 14.0 x 12.4 x 7.1 cm
Danalite is a member of the helvite group, rarely crystallizing. This is a large specimen with a massive embedded crystal of beautiful pink-red danalite, showing some fracture faces. What is more, it is from the old TYPE LOCALITY (from which it was described in 1866). A VERY rare and important old US specimen
PAS-93 Galena - $1800 Galena, Jo Daviess County, Ilinois CABINET, 11.2 x 10.4 x 7.5 cm
A hand-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 belt. 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. This composite crystal , consisting of a smaller cube in the back merging into this beautiful cuboctohedron, weighs 9 pounds. It is mostly complete on the back, as well. I have not brightened it chemically by cleaning it, to preserve the antique look.
PAS-94 Parisite-(Ce) - $500 (SOLD) Quincy, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts SMALL CABINET, largest 8.0 x 4.9 x 3.5 cm
This offering is a lot-set of FIVE specimens gifted to the Academy by great mineralogist Charles Palache. These specimens host rare Parisite crystals from Massachusetts. The first and more important specimen is shown in the top 2 rows of photos, where you can see it has elongated parisite crystals to nearly 1 cm. 2 additional specimens, including one with unusual barrel-headed calcite crystals (and parisite down between them), are shown at bottom. Another two strictly reference samples are included as well (not shown). Along with the anatase above also provided by Palache, an interesting mineralogical oddity from Massachusetts. From the MINDAT entry on this locality: Pegmatite pipes in a riebeckite-aegirine granite. Granite quarry opened before 1856. (Note: Often simply referred to as the Quincy Quarry.
PAS-99 Opal var. "Geyserite" - $250 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park, Park Co., Wyoming miniature, 4.7 x 4.2 x 1.6 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
PAS-100 Opal var. "Geyserite" - $95 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park, Park Co., Wyoming miniature, 3.7 x 2.8 x 1.9 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with a copy of the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
PAS-101 Geyserite - $125 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park thumbnail, 2.7 x 2.6 x 1.9 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with a copy of the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
PAS-102 Geyserite - $95 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park thumbnail, 3.0 x 2.6 x 2.2 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with a copy of the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
PAS-103 Geyserite - $95 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park thumbnail, 3.3 x 3.0 x 2.4 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with a copy of the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
PAS-104 Geyserite - $125 (SOLD) Yellowstone National Park miniature, 3.5 x 2.8 x 1.4 cm
So-called "geyserite" is a variety of opal formed in fumarole deposits. Apparently these were collected by a Dr. Leidy in 1877 on a trip, and brought back to give to the Academy for its collections. Half a dozen samples were here, all with the same number handpainted on the backsides, denoting common origin. This piece comes with a copy of the original label. NOTE: Collecting in the park is prohibited today.
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