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PAS-117 Silver with Copper - $1450 Keweenaw Peninsula (probably Houghton County), Michigan Miniature, 4.4 x 3.8 x 2.2 cm
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 - $950 (SOLD) San Jose Mine, Oruro City, Oruro Department, Bolivia CABINET, 11.8 x 7.2 x 3.7 cm
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 - $600 Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, Northeast Region, Brazil Miniature, 5.5 x 2.4 x 0.8 cm
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 - $900 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Potosi Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) Thumbnail, 2.6 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm
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 - $1200 Collahuasi Mine, Collahuasi district, Iquique Province, Tarapacα Region, Chile (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 6.4 x 5.2 x 3.8 cm
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 - $1150 Atacama Desert Region, Chile CABINET, 9.8 x 9.6 x 7.2 cm
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 - $2000 (SOLD) Manto Cuba Mine, Inca de Oro, Chaρaral Province, Atacama Region, Chile CABINET, 20.2 x 9.3 x 7.9 cm
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.
PAS-124 Stibarsen - $200 American Eagle, Luona Occurrence, Elk Mountain District, Gunnison Co., Colorado (probable) Miniature, 4.7 x 3.2 x 3.2 cm
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 - $500 Esmeralda County, Nevada (TYPE LOCALITY) Thumbnail
A rare hydrated iron oxide, apparently not well studied as yet because the MINDAT page is basically nonexistent. This tube of flakes and bits of the material is particularly important for such studies because this is the original stuff from the author, and the labels are great. As you can see, it dates to 1912, and the yype locality. The author, and donor of the specimen listed here, described this species in 1901. This is mentioned in the Minerals of Nevada. The species dealers like this sort of "specimen" as it's easy to and feed the masses of systematic mineral collectors from one specimen, so to speak...so probably worth more money broken up and sold in individual bits if one has the energy to do so.
PAS-126 Fillowite - $750 (SOLD) Sullivan Mine, Sullivan, New Hampshire Miniature, 4.8 x 3.9 x 1.5 cm
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 - $300 Galena, Jo Daviess County, Ilinois Miniature, 4.3 x 3.8 x 3.2 cm
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 - $400 Spruce Pine, Avery County, North Carolina SMALL CABINET, 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.1 cm
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
"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 - $300 (SOLD) Rockport, Cape Ann, Essex Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 6.8 x 5.4 x 4.6 cm
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 - $1450 (SOLD) Rockport, Cape Ann, Essex Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 7.2 x 4.8 x 3.2 cm
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 - $1250 (SOLD) Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts (TYPE LOCALITY) SMALL CABINET, 8.9 x 4.8 x 3.9 cm
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 - $750 Chester Emery Mines, Chester, Hampden Co., Massachusetts CABINET, 10.0 x 4.8 x 1.9 cm
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 - $100 (SOLD) Buck Creek Mine (Cullakenee Mine), Buck Creek, Clay Co., North Carolina (TYPE LOCALITY) Miniature, 4.5 x 4.2 x 3.8 cm
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) - $1250 Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts CABINET, 14.6 x 10.7 x 0.2 cm
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 - $950 Bare Hills Copper Mine (Smith Avenue Copper Mine), Bare Hills, Baltimore Co., Maryland CABINET, 9.6 x 7.5 x 4.9 cm
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 - $100 Plumtree, Spruce Pine District, Avery Co., North Carolina CABINET, 9.8 x 7.2 x 5.4 cm
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 - $150 Palermo Mines, Groton, Grafton Co., New Hampshire CABINET, 12.1 x 6.1 x 3.2 cm
A specimen of massive or vein-filling triphyllite, with small dark crystals of what is probably vivianite upon its surfce.
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