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PAS-184 Chalcanthite with Melanterite, Romerite - $1250 Cerro de Pasco, Pasco Department, Peru LARGE CABINET, 20.8 x 9.5 x 8.0 cm
This is a bizarre columnar Chalcanthite specimen that is coated by a thin layer of the iron suphate romerite, through which nests of sharp, bladed melanterite crystals to 6mm in size poke out every which way on all sides. Although not pristine (there are some damaged spots), it is dramatic and impressively displayable. According to museum records and the number on the back of the piece (19977), this dates to the time period as the Vaux expeditions of the 1920s and thus was most likely collected by Sam Gordon, then-curator, on one of the early Vaux expeditions (1st or 2nd)! You can see this dating jives with the dating on the museum's own large format display label, noting Sam Gordon collected the specimen in 1921 (then on the Vaux expeditions).
PAS-185 Variscite - $250 Huanuni mine, Huanuni, Dalence Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia CABINET, 13.8 x 6.5 x 6.4 cm
Unusual, sparkling, hemispherical variscite aggregates to 3mm crowded on an ore matrix. Quite unusual compared to the few examples of variscite I have seen from here in modern times.
PAS-150 Bismuth - $2000 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia CABINET, 12.6 x 9.3 x 4.5 cm
This important large, museum-sized specimen has lustrous, brilliantly metallic bismuth crystals exposed in massive ore matrix. The crystals reach 3 cm in size! The left half of the specimen is also crystallized around on the backside as well. This is a major Bolivian native bismuth specimen, I think.
Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) CABINET, 12.4 x 8.0 x 7.3 cm
This is a bizarre columnar wavellite specimen with "sheets" of wavellite , cave formations in appearance, on which are hung hundreds of minute gemmy, sparkling crystals of Paravauxite! Mixed amidst them are some zones of small blue microcrystalline vauxite, as well. I have never seen such a specimen. Although not pristine (there are some damaged spots), it is dramatic and quite displayable. This is the type locality for both species. According to museum records, this was collected by Sam Gordon, then-curator, on one of the early Vaux expeditions in the 1920s! Note the Vaux collection label, noted on the museum's own display card.
PAS-183 Wavellite - $2000 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia LARGE CABINET, 20.7 x 15.5 x 10.8 cm
This is a bizarre columnar wavellite specimen with "sheets" of wavellite, as if frozen in mid-flow like a cave formation of aragonite or calcite might be. Although not pristine (there are some damaged spots), it is dramatic and quite displayable. It is also the biggest such specimen of wavellite I have seen. According to museum records and the number on the back of the piece (19584), this dates to the time period as the Vaux expeditions of the 1920s and thus was most likely collected by Sam Gordon, then-curator, on one of the early Vaux expeditions (1st or 2nd)! You can see this dating jives with the PAS-184 dating on its label, noting Sam Gordon collected the specimen in 1921 (also then on the Vaux expeditions). Note the museum's own large format display card is as big as the specimen is, so it could sit atop of it.
PAS-136 Stibnite - $200 (SOLD) Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 6.8 x 6.0 x 4.5 cm
Stibnite is quite a rare species from this mine, and this is a solid specimen with a large display face of embeeded crystals and crystal fragments. It was collected in the 4th Vaux-funded expedition of 1929-1930
PAS-137 Silver on ore - $400 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 8.7 x 6.2 x 2.5 cm
For some reason, despite a wealth of silver inore, actual native silver is rare here and specimens from the old workings even more so. This piece has visivle silver upon the surface. From the William Vaux collection, donated to the Academy.
PAS-138 Cassiterite - $50 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia Miniature, 3.9 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm
Just a cute, sparkling cassiterite from the famous 4th Vaux expedition trip, with a neat label to attest
PAS-139 Siderite, on Pyrite - $150 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 7.0 x 5.1 x 3.5 cm
An unusual specimen with sharp hexagonal siderite crystals perched upon pyrite. Very unusual for the locality!
PAS-140 Limonite - $75 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia Miniature, 5.4 x 1.3 x 1.2 cm
Just a cute, interesting specimen from the famous 4th Vaux expedition trip, with a neat label to attest. the tube is hollow and you can see through the pinhole in the middle.
PAS-141 Pyrite - $100 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 7.3 x 4.4 x 3.6 cm
A strange pyrite specimen (which in this rich form is rare for here), with a single crystal of sphalerite(?) perched atop.
PAS-142 Monazite-(Ce) - $50 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia CABINET, 10.4 x 6.2 x 3.9 cm
Apparently this piece was a big deal at the time, obviously studied to determine its elemental content. However, I THINK the monzaite here is only massive or at best micros
PAS-143 Tetrahedrite on Quartz - $150 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia Miniature, 4.5 x 3.5 x 3.1 cm
A rare tetrahedrite from this locality. Sharp crystals to 6mm in massive, hefty cluster upon quartz
PAS-144 unknown Llallagua samples - $100 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia Thumbnail
If somebody wishes to take a "grab bag " gamble here, SOMEBODY collected these for a reason, on the 4th Vaux expedition in 1929-1930. It looks to me like it is sample bottles of volcanic ash of different sorts.
PAS-145 Muscovite ps. after Orthoclase - $100 Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia CABINET, 9.9 x 5.0 x 4.3 cm
A single crystal of orthoclase has been pseudomorphed to muscovite, according to this label from the 4th Vaux expedition in 1929-1930. .
PAS-165 Greenockite on Cassiterite - $750 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 8.1 x 5.6 x 4.8 cm
This piece has several rich pockets of dense microcrystallized orange/red greenockite, in protected cavities of cassiterite ore. A rare oldtime specimen from Llallagua with rich association of the very rare cadmian sulfide greenockite. I have not seen a specimen of this material for sale before, and in fact was not aware that the species had even been found here until I looked it up. This is one of two associated specimens (perhaps once joined), that were collected during the famous 4th Vaux-Academy expedition to Bolivia in 1929-1930, and comes with one of the two original labels that accompanied the box they were in all these years.
PAS-166 Greenockite on Cassiterite - $250 Siglo Veinte Mine, Llallagua, Bustillos Province, Potosν Department, Bolivia SMALL CABINET, 8.0 x 6.3 x 3.5 cm
This piece has several rich pockets of dense microcrystallized orange/red greenockite, in protected cavities of cassiterite ore. A rare oldtime specimen from Llallagua with rich association of the very rare cadmian sulfide greenockite. I have not seen a specimen of this material for sale before, and in fact was not aware that the species had even been found here until I looked it up. This is one of two associated specimens (perhaps once joined), that were collected during the famous 4th Vaux-Academy expedition to Bolivia in 1929-1930, and comes with one of the two original labels that accompanied the box they were in all these years.
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