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This collection was assembled starting in the late 1970s under the guidance of Bill Larson and Ed Swoboda initially. It began as an educational and investment-style reference collection of local San Diego County minerals, housed in the showroom of The Collector, the iconic store founded by Bill Larson and Ed Swoboda following their discovery of the Tourmaline Queen bluecap pocket in 1972. They went on to mine the Himalaya Mine, which Bill Larson continued to mine until closing it in 2002. By the late 1970's, Bill Larson bought out Ed's ownership in the store and business, retaining and growing this collection to fill a large trophy case that remained in the store on exhibit over the years (the store being renamed Pala International-The Collector). When I moved to San Diego the 90's, this was the first County collection I saw. Seeing that store and the Larson collection was the pivotal pilgrimage site for advanced collectors visiting the hotbed of Southern California as far back as the 70's though, and the collection was right there through it all, on display as it grew. The goal was to show, in a mix of sizes and species (and quality levels), a broad array of the mineral species occurring in San Diego County. Particular emphasis was placed on obtaining locality pieces from small pegmatite workings and unusual finds, and pieces from old museum collections: the kind of things that would inspire local collectors, and add value greater than the sum of the parts to this as a significant locality suite at the same time. I first saw this case (see photo at link below) in the early 1990's, and never thought it would be for sale at the time. In fact, it was not explicitly for sale even still when I got it...However, through a crazily convoluted exchange instead, I was able to obtain it and am proud to now offer for sale this historic collection here. My thanks to Bill Larson for his help in labelling and providing history on his specimens. Click here for a photo of the collection in its original home: PALA INTERNATIONAL COMPANY'S SAN DIEGO COUNTY locality collection!
STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES BY CHRISTMAS : ANOTHER 150-plus specimens! (mostly priced under $1000) coming soon... including a rarities suite and many other tourmalines, still to come...
PALASD-1-01 - Schorl with Quartz - $12500 (SOLD) Fano Mine, Riverside County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection CABINET, 16.1 x 5.6 x 4.9 cm
For me, this is the ultimate "locality piece" because it is so shockingly good for a locality you would not expect to see hardly anything major from, that it can stand for the species on its own merits in competition with the more productive and famous locales in Pakistan or Brazil. I cannot say I have seen a better schorl from North America, and most people think this pocket really DID produce the best we will see of the species in our country, at the least. Collected by Al Ordway in the mid 1980s and exchanged to Bill Larson soon after it was found. NEVER on the open market until now. This is a superb clustree, without any repairs.
PALASD-1-02 - Tourmaline - $9000 King Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection SMALL CABINET, 6.4 x 3.7 x 2.1 cm
A VERIFIED King Mine tourmaline, said to have come out around the early 1900s, and which Bill obtained from Pete Bancroft (author of Gem and Crystal Treasures) many years ago. This piece was probably mined around 1900, and is the kind of material once sent to the Empress dowager of China when San Diego was a gem export center for the US (pre-WWI); and the Chinese carving market drove gem mining efforts there. Few documented, bona fide King Mine specimens can be said to be in private hands today. Moreover, this is a really colorful and classic style for the mine, with a bright pink tourmaline capped by a faintly blue-toned termination when looked at from the side (but it looks pink, looking down from above). This is valuable carving rough, and thus you can see why few survived. There is some slight wear on the edges , acceptable to me as it is a historic piece and i can give some allowance; and since it displays very nicely anyhow as the few dings are not visually detracting. Weight is 98 grams. The color on this one is OUTSTANDING. Bill told me he felt this was easily worth $10k. They just aren't available, period. And as you can see, he kept several in this collection due to their prized rarity within County collecting circles.
PALASD-04 - Tourmaline - $7600 King Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection SMALL CABINET, 9.4 x 4.9 x 2.8 cm
This specimen is a nearly pristine, slender crystal that is a VERIFIED King Mine tourmaline, said to have come out around the early 1900s; and which Bill obtained from an old San Diego collection perhaps 20 years ago. This piece was probably mined around 1900, and is the kind of material once sent to the Empress dowager of China when San Diego was a gem export center for the US , pre-WWI ; and the Chinese carving market drove gem mining efforts. Few documented, bona fide King Mine specimens can be said to be in private hands today. Moreover, this is simply a really colorful and classic style for the mine, with a bright pink tourmaline capped by a faintly blue-toned termination when looked at from the side (but it looks colorless and then pink, looking down from above). There is some very slight wear on the edges but as it is a historic piece, I can give some allowance for that, since it displays very nicely anyhow, and the few dings are not so visually detracting. It is very tall, for an unrepaired, surviving specimen from this mine! Because it is slender, we think this is the only reason it was saved for a collection and not cut/carved. Interestingly , the back is fully terminated by complex microgrowth of minute terminations , giving it a silky look (lower-right photo). It is much bigger, much taller and broader in volumetric appearance than you would think from the weight, because of the slender aspect to the back of piece - which provides the additional advantage of making it more translucent to light. It is much more important for size than the above specimen (particularly as it is unrepaired), though slightly paler in color: hence, the price/size ratio difference. Both are outstanding pieces, important for the locality and history. Weight is 208 grams.
PALASD-1-03 - Tourmaline - $9500 (SOLD) King Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection SMALL CABINET, 8.1 x 5.6 x 4.7 cm
This piece was probably mined around 1900, and is the kind of material once sent to the Empress dowager of China when San Diego was a gem export center for the US, pre-WWI, and the Chinese carving market drove gem mining efforts. Few documented, bona fide King Mine specimens can be said to be in private hands today. Moreover, this is simply a really unusual and interesting cluster of bright pink tourmaline with blue pyramidal terminations atop, and an odd volcano caldera-like ingrowth that lends depth and dimensionality to an otherwise typical termination. There is some slight wear, but its not visually detracting, around the rim. This specimen was exchanged by Bill out of the Smithsonian with Paul Desautels as curator, in a large exchange in the late 1970s. Bill has owned it ever since in this collection, and regarded it as a very uniquely styled specimen with distinct character. Weight is 255 grams.
PALASD-1-04 - Tourmaline - $14500 (SOLD) Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection Miniature, 8.0 x 6.9 x 5.5 cm
Nicknamed "The Elbow," this was one of the more well-known and distinct Himalaya Mine pieces in the collection, and is easily unique for its odd geometry. It also was shown in the AMT case at Tucson 2008 as one of the Himalaya specimens in the locality case (lower-left corner of photo), perhaps diminutive but worthy of being in there for the uniqueness and style! The piece consists of two intergrown crystals intersecting at an unlikely angle, and the whole cluster is complete all around - a floater! It is almost entirely without damage (just a few very minor dings, only), and is remarkable for being a cluster from this severely disrupted pegmatite that is NOT repaired! The slender, upwards pointing crystal is 5.5 x 4 x 1.5 cm in size. The other is 5.5 x 4 x 3.5 cm and is basally flat on one end and shows a pyramidal termination on the other. It can be displayed any number of ways and when set on a sehelf, is totally translucent as well. Out of all the Himalaya Mine tourmalines in this case, and as you can see there are a number, this was a favorite of most people I asked for its sheer aesthetics and crazy geometry.
PALASD-1-05 - Tourmaline - $40000 (SOLD) San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection CABINET, 12 x 10 x 9 cm
Nicknamed "The Beer Cans" , this was one of the more well-known Himalaya Mine pieces in the collection, and is easily notable for its sheer size alone. The large tourmaline is the size of a soda can, and the whole cluster is complete all around - a floater! It is without damage, and so remarkable for being a cluster from this severely disrupted pegmatite that is NOT repaired! This is a MAJOR San Diego specimen of a size and heft rarely seen. It was mined by the legendary Ralph Potter in the 1950s or 1960s and has long been in this showcase collection. In person, it has a much richer maroon color than is shown here, and when backlit positively glows. Again, the fact that it is not repaired or damaged, is a minor miracle to my way of thinking.
PALASD-1-06 - Tourmaline - $20000 (SOLD) Cryo-Genie Mine, near Warner Springs San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection CABINET, 9.5 x 9 x 7 cm
A MAJOR crystal at 777 grams, complete all around, like a rocket, and so colorful and beautiful! So far as I know, its the best, biggest, unrepaired Cryo-Genie piece with good color. All the little crystals around the sides are complete, hanging down. It is really quite elegant in person, and when backlit glows with a wonderful color contrast. The CG Mine seems to have come and gone in its brief few years, and these will be remembered as a really unique style for San Diego County. It looks Afghani to the normal eye, I will admit, but this came from the mine owners (Ken and Dana Gochenour) to Bill directly upon finding it! And if Afghani, it would be twice the price anyhow, and yet of less significance. For an American tourmaline, again unrepaired in any manner, it makes a definite visual splash
PALASD-01 - Kunzite - $16500 Vanderberg Mine, Hiriart Mountain, Pala, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection CABINET, 10.1 x 4.5 x 2.3 cm
This is a breathaking visual piece but also happens to be a highly important kunzite specimen that is of 100% top-quality color and cutting quality, considered by many to be among the finest kunzite crystals recovered and surviving in specimen form from this famous mining district. At 147 grams, it has a high intrinsic cutting value for San Diego kunzite, still today valued at a premium compared to Brazilian material. Most have been cut over the years, particularly from the early days when the best use for kunzite was to cut it and sell as a fancy gem (Southern California was the world supply source for kunzite until Brazil hit in the 1960s!). A long history of the mine, dating back to 1902, can be read on MinDat (click here). This specimen was kept by mine owner Norm Dawson when he found it in a famous pocket of 12 kilos of highest-quality kunzite, in 1968 or so. It was bought from Dawson by Bill, before he passed away, and has never been for public sale til now. Bill told me he valued it at 15-20k, but it was never for sale individually (as with all else in this collection). This district, notably, is the TYPE LOCALITY for Kunzite, where it was identified as a new gemstone by George Frederick Kunz in 1903: Kunz, George Frederick (1903), On a new lilac-colored spodumene San Diego County, California: Am.Jour. Sci., 4th. series: 16: 264-267; ...(abstract): Science, new series: 18: 280 (1903).
PALASD-02 - Morganite and Goshenite (with water bubble inside) - $4500 Oceanview Mine, San Diego County, California Pala Intl./William Larson Collection CABINET, 10.8 x 8.3 x 7.2 cm
This specimen is unusual for a beryl in that it shows a morganite grading to goshenite (colorless beryl) within the SAME crystal. Such a phenomenon, while not unkown, is highly unusual. The crystal 4.5 x 4.2 x 3.7 cm, and obviously is a robust hexagonal shape, just about 2 inches long. It is 3-dimensional, complete, and pristine - in excellent condition! Interestingly it has a water bubble, visible inside the termination. Enhydro beryls are rare and I am not aware of another good one from San Diego County, in fact. A notable piece from a find of last year, which was the last piece added to this collection.
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