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K322 - Wulfenite - ¥ 152542 SOLD Mibladen, Atlas Mtns., Morocco miniature, 4.5 x 4.2 x 1.7 cm ex. Charlie Key
An approximately 1-inch cluster of several parallel-growth wulfenites presents a dramatic display on top of the barite matrix here. It looks good form either side. this is FIERY ORANGE in color...and MUCH more intense than you normally see for this mine known for wulfenite of a more butterscotch-yellow hue. Charlie had a whole flat of these put away, that he thinks came out in the late 1970s. This is the best of them.
K323 - Erythrite with Skutterudite - ¥ 152542 SOLD Bou Azzer Mine, Atlas Mtns., Morocco miniature, 5.7 x 3.7 x 3.0 cm ex. Charlie Key
A very elegant, deep purple cluster of solid erthrite with minute crystals of skutterudite mixed in, from the late 1960s finds that set a new standard for this species aside from the old localities in Germany. This piece is made up entirely of crystallized rosettes, grown one upon the other to form this sculptural shape. Specimens of this style, from the original find, are recognizably different from modern specimens found in 2002-2004. There is usually some historical value to be added in to the price of these specimens when they turn up, but we have instead priced this as we would a similarly-sized modern specimen: based simply on quality, size, and aesthetics.
K324 - Chrysocolla ps. Malachite ps. Azurite - ¥ 186441 Whim Creek Copper Mine, Pibara, Western Australia, Australia small cabinet, 6.2 x 4.7 x 2.9 cm ex. Charlie Key
A classic from this defunct locale! This is a DOUBLE PSEUDOMORPH showing a change of chemistry twice over to end up with a complete chrysocolla replacement of the original azurite crystal habit, with malachite as a transitional stage. Large and beautiful specimens of this calibre are very rare and hard to obtain. This piece i find particularly elegant because of the curvature of the azurites, and the sharp preservation of this form after two rounds of chemical replacement. Often, the pseudos get rounded with time and change. This one, however, is super sharp! For size, overall aesthetics, color hue, and curvaceous form - one of the best I know of!
K325 - Cumengite - ¥ 127119 SOLD Amelia Mine, Boleo, Santa Rosalia, Baja California, Mexico (1890's) thumbnail, 1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm ex. Charlie Key ex. F.P. D'Esopo
This is a fine thumbnail specimen from the original expeditions of Cumenge in the late 1800s, ex. Sorbonne museum collections. It is a SHARP untwinned cumengeite, showing stereotypical classic form! Most cumengeite forms as twinned growth upon boleite crystals, and thus you have a starburst-shaped crystal habit. However, SOME FEW SPECIMENS from the original find, as is this one, show the untwinned habit. It is not quite pristine - there are a few small dings - but it has a good isplay face where they are hidden from view and "it is what it is," a holy grail of thumbnail and rare species collectors! I have had cumengeites , some larger and priced much higher, in the past. I have NOT had such an example, though, of this habit, before. There is an old label accompanying it which notes that it is a rare untwinned crystal (one of two known to him), from the collection of a Dr. FP D'Esopo. I do not think it is THAT rare, but it IS pretty uncommon. Then again, I now realize the WP on his label indicates that he got the piece from Dr. William Pinch, and Bill tends to be right about these kidns of things....CLICK ON LABEL FOR LINK TO THE COLLECTOR ARCHIVES AT THE MINERALOGICAL RECORD WEBSITE, AND MORE INFORMATION.
K326 - Magnetite - ¥ 63559 ZCA Mine, 2500 foot Level, Balmat, New York (1992) miniature, 4.2 x 3.3 x 3.1 cm ex. Charlie Key
These incredibly lustrous, sharp magnetites shocked people when they first came out in the 90s, from this working zinc mine. This is from the best pocket hit, in 1992, with big fat lustrous crystals! If you sit and look at them, you quickly see an incredible complexity of surface faces, curved outgrowths of the cubic form upon what seemed from afar like simply flat faces. This is a very aesthetic cluster, with 3-dimensional form and super lustre. These are not "black rocks", but rather minerals with such jet-black and LUSTROUS surface that its almost OK to call them colorful. An American classic, now,and hard to obtain in this quality. The piece is really hard to photo - it is better in person. There is damage or contact on either side of the main display face, but it can be displayed with the predominant crystal showing nicely, above it all. Its really a very good piece, just hard to convey this in writing and photos.
K328 - Galkhaite (superb!)on Quartz - ¥ 381356 SOLD Getchell Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada, USA small cabinet, 6.8 x 6.6 x 3.8 cm ex. Charlie Key
Charlie thought this was perhaps the best specimen around,using the phrase "off the charts," and I can say I have not seen better. It wsa supposedly found about 30-40 years ago. It features dozens of SHARP, wine-red crystals of this very rare thallium-rich species that also has a smorgasboard of other elements in it. Here we have several dozen large-for-species crystals to 4 mm.
K329 - Brochantite on Chrysocolla - ¥ 152542 SOLD Rokana Mine, Kitwe, Copperbelt Province, Zambia cabinet, 13.4 x 7.8 x 4.2 cm ex. Charlie Key
NEVER seen anything from this place except libethenite, nor a brochantite quite like this from anywhere but a small find in Morocco...But, the thing is, this is also one of the world's great examples of crystallized euhedral brochantite - regardless of locale. This is an very large plate, with high quality and brilliant lustre. It is much more impressive in person, with the short, stout crystals to 5 mm leaping out and sparkling nicely. Its very hard to photograph how dramatic the contrast is for the deep forest green on the intense blue background, and I can assure you the impact in person is worth every bit of the money (again, aside from the beauty, I think its a significant piece for the species anyhow). IMPOSSIBLE TO PHOTOGRAPH - TURST ME, THIS THING IS DAZZLING in person.
K330 - Rockbridgeite over Phosphosiderite (?) - ¥ 25424 Indian Mountain, Cherokee Co., Alabama, USA miniature, 5.2 x 4.5 x 3.2 cm ex. Charlie Key
A rare example of the classic phosphates from this locality, which are seldom seen as anything but smudges. Yet, this piece is actually quite rich and attractive!
K331 - Millerite - ¥ 148305 Agnew Mine, Agnew, Western Australia small cabinet, 6.3 x 4.4 x 3.4 cm ex. Charlie Key
A radial spray of REAL millerite crystals with REAL terminations, almost unheard of for the locality!!! This is a 3-dimensional, dramatic specimen of solid millerite with a heft to it. Charlie loved these things and stashed them away when he foudn one for sale, apparently. This is perhaps the best of them, for my tastes, with the individual well-terminated crystals shooting out and curving around the top of the specimen as they do.
K332 - Tremolite var. Hexagonite - ¥ 38136 Gouverneur Mine, Fowler, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA cabinet, 13.4 x 7.0 x 3.5 cm ex. Charlie Key
Found in the late 1800s, these were old classics even before the mines were shut down and closed. GEMMY, brilliantly purple CRYSTALS of this tremolite varietal abound in massive matrix of the same. This is a large, rich piece. You could certainly break it up into many smaller specimens with ease, each with some gemmy crystals in it. This is typical of the higher quality level I see every now and then, preserved in old collections.
K333 - Tremolite var. Hexagonite - ¥ 635593 SOLD Gouverneur Mine, Fowler, St Lawrence County, New York, USA cabinet, 17.6 x 7.5 x 2.5 cm ex. Charlie Key
This is OFF THE CHARTS (Charlie's favorite phrase for pieces he thinks have real significance!). This specimen hosts a SUPERB, 4.5-inch, translucent, lustrous crystal of hexagonite, the largest I have personally seen and far more importantly the largest that Charlie himself has seen in over 50 years of dealing fine minerals. He told me to put at least 10k on this one, and frankly it is tempting to do so but we tried to amortise things fairly for the non-Kalahari parts of his collection. This is a piece he obtained over 25 years ago, he said, and has kept ever since as part of his suite of "random and interesting American things I really liked." Found in the late 1800s, these were old classics even before the mines were shut down and closed. This is a large, showy, cabinet-sized display piece that has real significance for the state and the mineral.
K334 - Aegerine on Orthoclase - ¥ 63559 SOLD Mt Maloso, Malawi small cabinet, 6.0 x 5.4 x 4.7 cm ex. Charlie Key
A strikingly aesthetic 3-dimensional combination of jet-black aegerines (to 3 cm) splaying out from matrix of feldspar! The lustre, form, and sharpness of these crystals is WAY above par and most people consider this locale to be the world's finest source for the species...while this piece would be, in quality, right at the top of what has been found to date.
K335 - Cobaltite in Chalcopyrite - ¥ 80508 SOLD Pellegruvan (Pelle Mine) , Västmanland, Sweden miniature, 3.6 x 3.6 X 2.6 cm ex. Charlie Key ex. Smithsonian Institution
A sharply crystallized example of this classic rare species, in matrix, from THE classic occurrence! The crystal is a rather large 1.5 cm across, quite significant in matrix.
K337 - Rutile (twinned) - ¥ 101695 Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia, USA miniature, 4.6 x 4.6 x 2.7 cm ex. Charlie Key
This is a killer miniature rutile ! FEW are found so sharply twinned, and this is as sharp and as lustrous as you can get. The faces are so reflective you could shave in them. The bevelled edges, also. The piece has a slight red sheen to it, that when strongly lit is obviously more apparent (rightmost photo) although not how it looks in a normal case with normal llighting (leftmost photo)
K338 - Rutile (twinned) - ¥ 135593 SOLD Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia, USA small cabinet, 5.8 x 4.9 x 4.4 cm ex. Charlie Key
A sharp penetration-twinned rutile crystal that dominates a natural pedestal of matrix (limonite). This is lustrous as could be, metallic in not just lustre but somehow in its overall form as well. It is complete all around save for one contact on the back or a left side depending on how you display it.The piece has a slight red sheen to it, that when strongly lit is obviously more apparent (rightmost photo) although not how it looks in a normal case with normal lighting (leftmost photo).For the size and price range in particular, this is a superior specimen quality!
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