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from the Charles Locke Key Collection
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ex. Charlie Key
Classic older material from this locality, more gemmy and bright than specimens which are coming out today from the essential stripmining near the earlier finds. These older specimens from the 1980s stand out immediately from the larger, thicker crystals of todays finds (often darker in color, but not as gemmy and so of a different style). MORE green and gemmy in person! This is a large specimen in unusually pristine condition, that shows dramatically becase so much light is transmitted through the freestanding crystals on all the edges
ex. Charlie Key
A glowing, translucent crystal of really quite large size for the locality AND the species....when lit from behind, it is extremely beautiful in a glowing, softly colored way that Tsmeb dioptases, darker in color, are not.This piece is flattish on the backside, but just contacted and not damaged. It LOOKS like a Tsumeb diop at first glance, because of teh size, but the color is lighter and the inner core more translucent than you'd expect from Tsumeb. But at first glance, it looks like a 5k Tsumeb toenail!
ex. Charlie Key
These dioptase are perhaps smallish crystals, you are thinking. But the quality is outstanding...razor sharp, translucent, and perched in glistening and velvety matrix of chrysocolla?! It is a miniature that glows with color and perfection.
ex. Charlie Key
This specimen comes from the Uis tin mine, from the 1970s or earlier according to Charlie. It features a large freestanding crystal perched on quartz matrix - and the crystal is , in person, translucent and of a nice pastel green color. Such specimens are extremely hard to obtain today and , especially in such aesthetic form, are rare in fluorite collections.
ex. Charlie Key
A big fat crystal with intense beer-color, quite unusual, from a recent find in the Erongos like none ever seen before. These are REALLY intensely colored, and stand out in a case! The tips are gemmy and glassy, but the side edges almost always show matte surface, which may be due to a change in chemistry during growth. This is one of the largest single crystals from the find that Charlie was aware of.
ex. Charlie Key
A strange, tapered crystal with a flat natural temrination atop! Strikingly different! The only one we have seen like it, from here.
ex. Charlie Key
A most unusual plate, like none others I have seen from here, with incredibly lustrous crystals that are unusually squat. They are all solidly interjoined and connected into a thin plate that is complete all around.
ex. Charlie Key
One of two exquisite cassiterites from this region, Charlie prized. These are RAZOR-sharp, and so lustrous they have a surface like the finest jet obsidian, more lustrous even than Chinese cassiterite. Both specimens are complexly twinned, and mesmerizing to the eye. Note this one has a teeny ding on the upper edge of the left "wing"of the primary twinned crystal. So, otherwise it would be 2k...pride adjusted accordingly and its still a killer!
ex. Charlie Key
A truly clear topaz , with brilliant internal gemminess as well as external glassiness. In person, this large and sharp crystal is much more stunning because the photos make it hard to distinguish its true 3-dimensionality, and blur front and back because of the sheer clarity. The crystal is complexly modified atop, on some edges, by solution effects. It is, in person, MUCH better, I can say. The bits of attached matrix to the back add a bit of contrast
ex. Charlie Key
A stunning, 3-dimensional, ball of beautiful and lustrous schorl crystals perched like an imporbable stack of cards upon a small pedestal of crystallized smoky quartz! VERY unusual for the quality and aesthetics! This is one of my favorites of the many schorls here.
ex. Charlie Key
One of two exquisite cassiterites from this region, Charlie prized. These are RAZOR-sharp, and so lustrous they have a surface like the finest jet obsidian, more lustrous even than Chinese cassiterite. Both specimens are complexly twinned, and mesmerizing to the eye.
ex. Charlie Key
Talk about elegant coppers! This exquisitely crystallized specimen is as good a piece a syou could ask, for ht locale!
ex. Charlie Key
A shockingly large, doubly-terminated, translucent crystal of dioptase! This is nearly as large as a crystal of this species can get in length, if not thickness. It is flattish, contacted natrually, in back, but form teh front shows all bevels and looks quite 3-dimensional. It has one small contact in front, and no damage. You would expect a crystal of such size and translucency , and intense color, to cost a lot more, I think...but Charlie passed these on at fair prices to us and we are trying the same. This is a MAJOR dioptase and a killer small miniature by any standard!!
ex. Charlie Key
Incredibly weird specimen with gemmy, transparent purple fluorites showing oriented growth and coloration patterns, perched atop a splaying schorl crystal! Dramtic and certainly unusual
ex. Charlie Key
A stunning, lustrous, deep green translucent aggregate of prehnite crystals, making for a beautiful and impressive piece - all the more so for the locality!
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![Fluorite from Okaruso, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-129a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-129a.jpg)
![Fluorite from Okaruso, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-129b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-129b.jpg)
![Fluorite from Okaruso, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-129c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-129c.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-122a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-122a.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-122b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-122b.jpg)
![Dioptase on Chrysocolla from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-120a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-120a.jpg)
![Dioptase on Chrysocolla from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-120b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-120b.jpg)
![Dioptase on Chrysocolla from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-120c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-120c.jpg)
![Fluorite on Quartz from Uis, Damaraland District, Kunene Region, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-132a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-132a.jpg)
![Fluorite on Quartz from Uis, Damaraland District, Kunene Region, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-132b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-132b.jpg)
![Heliodor Beryl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-174a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-174a.jpg)
![Heliodor Beryl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-174b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-174b.jpg)
![Aquamarine (unusual tapered crystal) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-179a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-179a.jpg)
![Aquamarine (unusual tapered crystal) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-179b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-179b.jpg)
![Aquamarine (unusual flat plate) with Schorl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-112a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-112a.jpg)
![Aquamarine (unusual flat plate) with Schorl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-112b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-112b.jpg)
![Cassiterite (twinned) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-157a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-157a.jpg)
![Cassiterite (twinned) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-157b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-157b.jpg)
![Topaz from Spitzkopje, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-154a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-154a.jpg)
![Topaz from Spitzkopje, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-154b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-154b.jpg)
![Schorl on Smoky Quartz from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-142a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-142a.jpg)
![Schorl on Smoky Quartz from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-142b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-142b.jpg)
![Schorl on Smoky Quartz from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-142c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-142c.jpg)
![Cassiterite (twinned) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-156a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-156a.jpg)
![Cassiterite (twinned) from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-156b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-156b.jpg)
![Copper from Emke Mine, Onganja, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-194a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-194a.jpg)
![Copper from Emke Mine, Onganja, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-194b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-194b.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-145a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-145a.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-145b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-145b.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-145c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-145c.jpg)
![Dioptase from Otjikotu, Kaokoveld, Kunene, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-145d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-145d.jpg)
![Fluorite on Schorl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-173a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-173a.jpg)
![Fluorite on Schorl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-173b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-173b.jpg)
![Fluorite on Schorl from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-173c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-173c.jpg)
![Prehnite on Quartz from Brandberg, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-164a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-164a.jpg)
![Prehnite on Quartz from Brandberg, Namibia [db_pics/pics/k-164b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/k-164b.jpg)