The Arkenstone: Specimen Galleries

Robert Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com


Online since 1996
TM




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CHARLIE KEY QUARTZ COLLECTIONS
(Namibia: Brandberg, Gobobos, Oranje River):


These beautiful specimens are rare survivors of a small find that produced GREAT carving rough for cabochons and jewelry made of chalcedony (it is after all gemmy and transparent/translucent!), to the detriment of the original specimens from our point of view! Charlie saved some from the lapidaries, though; and these are a few selected from his stash we have of this rare and beautiful old material from the 1980s. The edges look like blue lace agate in some cases, but are really just thick layers of chalcedony colored blue by an unknown chromophore. Some small pockets had fluorite crystals, that are completely altered to the same beautiful blue chalcedony, reminiscent of old material from Romania...this is the only other locality I am aware of that produces such beautiful blue quartz/agate pseudomorphs after fluorite.





pa01 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $450 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
small cabinet, 7.5 x 4.0 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A superb plate with unusually good relief to the crystals amidst the solid covering, and good form overall.



pa02 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $600 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 11.6 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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One of the larger plates in good condition, a very impressive large specimen overall!



pa03 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $400
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 12.7 x 7.0 x 5.7 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large plate in overall good condition, a little elongated - probably could be trimmed in two, and each half sold for the same! Super translucent crystals here, and rich coverage overall.



pa04 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $250 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 12.1 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large plate in overall good condition, a little elongated - probably could be trimmed in two, and each half sold for the same!



pa05 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $900 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 14.0 x 6.5 x 3.7 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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Not only for the size and condition, but for the overall "glow" of the colorful crystals, this is one of my favorites, and certainly one of the more elegant large pieces saved. Superb plate, with great relief to the crystals.



pa06 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $250 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 9.6 x 6.8 x 3.4 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A good large plate. Has some minor damage, hence the low price



pa07 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $200
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 12.5 x 5.3 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A good large plate but with some visually detracting attached secondary quartz coating in portions, hence the low price. Still, a lot of material for the price!



pa08 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $1200
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
small cabinet, 8.9 x 5.8 x 2.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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My favorite! A wonderful small cab, 100% translucent, with rolling 3-dimensional form and unusually good eye appeal!



pa09 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $175 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
small cabinet, 7.9 x 3.5 x 3.2 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A showy large specimen, excellent representation of the find for the price - discounted somewhat because it is a bit "blocky"



pa10 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $250 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 5.6 x 4.7 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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Extremely cute miniature with great form and translucency!



pa11 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $100 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 5.1 x 4.2 x 1.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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Extremely cute miniature with great form and translucency!



pa12 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $1500 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 9.8 x 6.9 x 4.3 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A gorgeous large plate with nice form overall and an almost silky sheen, superb for the material! Probably the most "blue" of the lot, in terms of outright color appeal. It is thereofre the prettiest piece here, I would say, of the larger specimens.



pa13 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $75 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
small cabinet, 7.3 x 4.8 x 3.6 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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Minor damage, hence the low price for this large plate with good crystals and coverage!



pa14 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $450
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 11.8 x 5.9 x 4.4 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large, very good plate with sharp crystals and good color



pa15 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $450
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 12.2 x 8.5 x 5.4 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large, very good plate with sharp crystals and good color



pa16 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $50 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 4.5 x 3.5 x 3.1 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A fine representative example of this rare pseudomorph, with sharp crystals on matrix.



pa17 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $150 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 4.5 x 3.3 x 2.7 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A cute miniature with bizarrely ghostly-colored crystals on one side, and darker crystals on the other, showing two zones of fluorite on either side of the matrix. Super example without breaking the bank!



pa18 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $20 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 3.2 x 2.2 x 2.2 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A reference example of this material



pa19 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $35 SOLD
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
miniature, 3.5 x 2.2 x 1.1 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A cute toenail sized, colorful, reference specimen of this material. Quite nice, really!



pa20 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $750
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 21.3 x 5.3 x 4.6 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A huge, elongated, dramatic specimen just covered with deeply colored, sharp crystals! Probably worth more broken into thirds, but I liked the rarity of the size here.



pa21 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $750
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 13.1 x 6.2 x 4.5 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large, very good plate with sharp crystals and good color - but also with more 3-dimensional surface geometry than ost of them here. Nice display specimen!



pa22 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $450
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 12.9 x 5.0 x 4.2 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A large, very good plate with sharp crystals and good color



pa23 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $750
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
cabinet, 11.4 x 6.1 x 4.1 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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A dramatic specimen with good color and excellent coverage, showing a bit of matrix underneath a solid carpet of good crystals. Nice display specimen!



pa24 - Gem Chalcedony pseudomorph after Fluorite - $100
Blinkpan, Karas Region, Namibia
small cabinet, 8.8 x 8.2 x 3.8 cm
ex.  Charlie Key

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Some damage at the edges, and hence the low price...but still a good core area of highly representative, pretty crystals! And a lot of altered fluorite for the price, overall.









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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

ALL PICTURES, TEXT, DESIGN © THE ARKENSTONE 1996-2003