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FROM THE COLLECTION OF CHARLES LOCKE KEY Swakopmund, Namibia collected over 40 years and featuring: large suites of Kalahari Manganese Field minerals of all kinds; Namibia suites of Oranje River, Brandberg and Goboboseb Quartz; Erongo Mountain minerals and other Namibian Classics; Congo and Kaokoveld Dioptase & malachite; and a diverse Worldwide Suite
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ex. Charlie Key
This is one of Charlie's two best ilmenites...he said that he rushed to the find, when they came out, and obtained the best of the lot along with only one other SA collector (whos epiece was pictured recently in the MR for comparison). Charlie felt that for size and sharpness, and overall display, this is the best. You can see it is a very 3-dimensional specimen with beautiful, geometric form and a really nice complementing balance of smokies with the ilmenites amongst which they grow. I think these are world class ilmenites for the species, especially because they are relatively beautiful and less earthy than usual in this size. The smokies, and the perfection of the piece overall in its display, make it of a quality for any collector to consider, not just those who like the "rare uglies"!
ex. Charlie Key
Amazing, visually stunning, piece with electric and chatoyant deep green, primary malachite perched on the blue quartz! The deep blue color is caused by shattuckite investing the quartz, so its sparkly and bright, not dull. A single non-included clear quartz is in the middle of the natural pedestal that serves as a base for the 2-inch , doubly-terminated malachite crystal! The color contrast is simply AMAZING. Note also the accenting shattuckite rosette atop the upper-left of the malachite !
ex. Charlie Key
A glowing yellow cluster of large, translucent, fat ettringite crystals on a bit of calcite matrix, and with contrasting black gaudefroyite upon the right side. The large crystal is fully terminated, though admittedly has a contact on the left side where it grew against another crystal no longer present. Still, the upright, freestanding crystal is extremely dramatic, is complete; and such crystals are rare. Usually they are flatlaying, whereas this is freestanding and vertical! The smaller crystal at the base is fully terminated and complete. Comes with custom lucite base. Comes with custom lucite display base.
ex. Charlie Key
An extremely fine specimen with both significance AND aesthetics, for this VERY RARE garnet species (i believe it is the only octohedral garnet?!). Charlie valued this at $4-5k, frankly. He felt, and I agree, that it is among the best of species. Not only do you have a large dominant crystal on a rich matrix, but the lustre is so sharp and bright that at first glance yoU THINK this is a magnetite from switzerland and NOT a rare manganese fields mineral!
ex. Charlie Key
A beautiful specimen, complete 360 degrees, hosting a translucent 2 cm shigaite perched on sparkly rhodo crystals! This is a piece of major importance in the world of rarities, and Charlie felt that for combination of size and aesthetics it was the best miniature from the find of the early 1980s that he could keep in his suite of personal Kalahari rarities of miniature size - this was in fact the pride of the collection, I'd say. it is NOT the fragile, thin, disclike crystal you expect to see form looking at the recently mined material. it is very thick, sturdy, and easily packed for shipping. Although a "toenail" size, it is important enough to take its place in a miiatures or rarities suite of stature, and is really irreplaceable.
ex. Charlie Key
Sharp, really amazing twinning displayed with unique aesthetics! The 4 cm twinned crystal is perched up on two rhomds, each showing raised and unusual faces but themselves not twinned. Stunning, in person! And, complete all around, 360.
ex. Charlie Key
Another superb example of inesite from this famous find! CHERRY RED, with translucency and glassy lustre, there really was only one pocket of this quality EVER.
ex. Charlie Key
A complex specimen featuring sheaves of kutnahorite perched upon a twinned calcite crystal that has been completely replaced by manganoan calcite.... FLOATER! Unique, in my experience, for this particular combinaiton of qualities
ex. Charlie Key
Incredible contrast in two common varietals of quartz, resulting in a NOT so common specimen! This is complete and well formed all around! Comes with custom lucite display base.
ex. Charlie Key
A really gemmy, outstanding example of the dark green , glassy fluorite that made this locality famous in the early 1980s. Although mining is going on now, the quality like this hasn't been seen again. BEST COLOR!
ex. Charlie Key
Who knew?! I had never hear dof anything from this mine except a few strangely formed rhodos, til Charlie's Collection surfaced. He has a whole suite of weird sulfide combinations from this locality, for example this one featuring SHARP alpine-quality magnetite in contrasting chalcopyrite matrix. The largest magnetite is 2 cm across! This is the best matrix specimen out of the whole lot of about 2 flats, which he had acucmulated over the years from a worker at the mine.
ex. Charlie Key
GEM WEIGHT: 1.54 carats Extremely fine crystal and a matching cut stone of this classic deep blue, unheated, natural indicolite that once set the standard for blue hue in gem tourmalines.
ex. Charlie Key
A beautiful specimen with unusual contrast both in color and in relief...most Kaokoveld dioptases are pretty flat on the matrix but this one features fat, 3-D crystals that are themselves standing largely free atop a rounded knoll of matrix, for double effect. The piece has a 3-cm-long cluster atop with two intergrown, doubly-terminated diop crystals hangiging out into space. It is VERY dramatic. The crystals are 2.5 and 2 cm in size, and again are doubly-terminated. Smaller crystals provide accent. At first glance, we had appraised this at a much higher price. On very close inspection, you can see a small chip, probably one form geological time that has been partly healed over because it is so hard to see, in the left-rear side of the smaller crystal in the cluster. I have to be hnest and admit this detracts a bit, from ONE angle out of four for potential display, and from the overall quality of condition...but visually, its really a pretty trivial damage and in a backwater spot, so you get a lot of visual impact for the buck on this specimen ; and it remains in my mind a very significant and impactful Kaokoveld dioptase.
ex. Charlie Key
Quite simply, for the color contrast and striking sculptural quality of form, one of the most striking stalactites of any mineral that I have ever seen! Wow! I have never seen this combination in such quality, before. Comes with custom lucite display base.
ex. Charlie Key
A beautiful piece with the most intense lemon yellow hue! This specimen has several large scaleohedral calcites completely draped on one side by lemon yellow ettringite druse. It is just COLOR. The very tippy-tips are cleaved slightly, but it does not detract from the show value of the specimen at all since it is not readily noticeable.
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![ILMENITE on SMOKY QUARTZ from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-21a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-21a.jpg)
![ILMENITE on SMOKY QUARTZ from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-21b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-21b.jpg)
![ILMENITE on SMOKY QUARTZ from Erongo Mountains, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-21c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-21c.jpg)
![SHATTUCKITE on PRIMARY MALACHITE on SHATTUCKITE-included QUARTZ from Kaokoveld, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-1a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-1a.jpg)
![SHATTUCKITE on PRIMARY MALACHITE on SHATTUCKITE-included QUARTZ from Kaokoveld, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-1b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-1b.jpg)
![ETTRINGITE with Gaudefroyite from N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-2a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-2a.jpg)
![HENRITERMIERITE (XLS TO 1 CM) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-3a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-3a.jpg)
![HENRITERMIERITE (XLS TO 1 CM) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-3b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-3b.jpg)
![HENRITERMIERITE (XLS TO 1 CM) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-3c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-3c.jpg)
![HENRITERMIERITE (XLS TO 1 CM) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-3d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-3d.jpg)
![SHIGAITE on RHODOCHROSITE from N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-4a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-4a.jpg)
![CALCITE (TWINNED) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-5a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-5a.jpg)
![CALCITE (TWINNED) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-5b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-5b.jpg)
![CALCITE (TWINNED) from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-5c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-5c.jpg)
![INESITE from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-6a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-6a.jpg)
![KUTNAHORITE ON MANGANOCALCITE PS. CALCITE TWIN from Wessels Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-7a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-7a.jpg)
![QUARTZ with SMOKY QUARTZ from Namaqualand, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-8a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-8a.jpg)
![FLUORITE from Okaruso, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-9a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-9a.jpg)
![MAGNETITE in Chalcopyrite from Aggenys Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-10a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-10a.jpg)
![MAGNETITE in Chalcopyrite from Aggenys Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-10b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-10b.jpg)
![MAGNETITE in Chalcopyrite from Aggenys Mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-10c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-10c.jpg)
![INDICOLITE (NEUSCHWABEN TOURMALINE) cut & rough set from Neuschwaben (Neu Schwaben), Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-11a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-11a.jpg)
![INDICOLITE (NEUSCHWABEN TOURMALINE) cut & rough set from Neuschwaben (Neu Schwaben), Karibib District, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-11b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-11b.jpg)
![DIOPTASE on chrysocolla from Kaokoveld, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-12a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-12a.jpg)
![DIOPTASE on chrysocolla from Kaokoveld, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-12b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-12b.jpg)
![DIOPTASE on chrysocolla from Kaokoveld, Namibia [db_pics/pics/cktsr-12c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-12c.jpg)
![MALACHITE on CHRYSOCOLLA stalactite from Star of the Congo Mine, Lubumbashi, Shaba (Katanga), Congo (former Zaïre) [db_pics/pics/cktsr-13a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-13a.jpg)
![ETTRINGITE on CALCITE from N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/pics/cktsr-14a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/cktsr-14a.jpg)