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NEW FIND: PURPLE TOPAZ from BRAZIL!
(APRIL 24, 2008)
A rare pocket of genuinely purple topaz, not pink and not red, from the famous mines for imperial orange topaz. I am aware of only three such finds of any significance in the last 20 years. These are beautiful, glowing, gemmy and sparkling crystals highgraded fro mthe lot IN brazil by a colleague of mine.
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Herbertsmithite - rare copper species!
(APRIL 19, 2008)
A rare (and luckily, beautiful) copper species from this TYPE LOCALITY area, these specimens with superb and eye-visible crystals for the species.
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NEW PHOTOS and SPECIMENS ADDED:
SPESSARTINE GARNET from TANZANIA!
NOW POSTED: 40 THUMBNAILS, priced $100-up
(APRIL 18, 2008)
An unprecedented find of razor-sharp, translucent to transparent, red and orange garnet crystals from Tanzania, the biggest surprise of this year's Tucson show! These crystals were found in a surface deposit on Maasai Land near the national park, and were all dug between december and january, redefining what you can expect in Garnet floaters! Selections from $200-on up!
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30 NEW SPECIMENS POSTED
BIPYRAMIDAL WULFENITE crystals from MAPIMI!
(posted APRIL 18, 2008)
A shocking find out of Mapimi, which has been "boring" for nearly 20 years otherwise. These wulfenites are not only locality specimens of note, but have a radically different crystal form than most other wulfenites. |
TSUMEB!
(APRIL 10, 2008)
An interesting and diverse selection from the stashed Tsumeb collection of Charlie (Locke) Key, after whom the Tsumeb minerals Keyite and Ludlockite are named. Charlie was the pre-eminent Tsumeb dealer from the US for 20 years and more. We purchased his collection some time ago and are releasing it in stages.
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POSTED March 24 : MIXED NEW FINDS from TUCSON cntd.!
(March 24, 2008)
This is a mix of over 50 specimens on THREE NEW PAGES covering a few of the smaller new finds, or cherrypicks from larger finds, that came up at the show. Page 4 is all rarities, old and new Expect more updates to come! |
MIXED NEW FINDS from TUCSON I!
This is a mix of several dozen specimens from a few smaller new finds, that I purchased at the show and had packed separately so I could get to them early. Expect more updates to come! |
NOW POSTED: MORGANITES from Afghanistan!
(posted March 10, 2008)
Much of a pocket of classic hexagonal morganites with pink blush color, harder and harder to get out of Afghanistan these days at any reasonable price (and these are priced, I think, reasonably...since I bought the whole pocket "as is" with tons of prep work to do to get them out of the big rocks they were found in, and so I can pass on this "finder's finishing bonus"). |
MINIATURES AND RARITIES FROM OLD CLASSIC LOCALES!
(posted March 3, 2008)
50 specimens, all from old classic localities worldwide: mostly from various Museum collections including deaccessions from the American Museum of Natural History's Clarence Bement collection. |
QUARTZ!!
(posted Feb 26, 2008)
Superb specimens of Arkansas Quartz from the private stash of one of the mine owners! These represent, to my eye, one of the best lots of Arkansas quartz specimens I have seen in one place in a long time. Also here (for lack of a better place to put them) are two LARGE specimens of Amethyst from Bolivia. |
NEW FIND - BRAZILIANITE!
(posted Feb 26, 2008)
I was shocked when a source shipped up 10 pieces of the choicest Brazilianite speciments as an overall lot, that I have yet seen from the last 4-5 years of mining here. Each piece is superb, and way better than the average material that has made it out to date. I am told this was the product of hoarding the best pieces from many different pockets over the last few years! |
HAUCK QUARTZ COLLECTION! - preTucson update for web customers!
(3 new pages posted Feb 2, 2008)
Quartz from the collection of Richard Hauck. Most have old labels or are clearly historic pieces!
HAUCK COPPER COLLECTION! (fall , 2007)
selections from the HAUCK historic locality COLLECTION! (spring , 2007)
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skeletal GALENA from Bulgaria!
(posted Jan 9, 2008)
Words cannot describe these bizarre critters...have a look! |
MEXICAN AZURITE - new find!
(posted Jan 9, 2008)
I have closely been following a new azurite locality in Sonora since the Denver show, which has produced mind-numbing azurite that at its best rivals and in some ways (such as price) is better than the best of Tsumeb! |
TSUMEB COLLECTION!
(1-7-08)
Last year, I purchased the private collection of long-time South African dealer Rob Smith, and have had no time to bring it to shows or post online, save for a few auctioned items. In partnership with dealer/collector Brian Kosnar, much of the core of that collection is now posted, at long last! This is a very diverse group of specimens, on 10 pages, representing over 30 years of collecting Tsumeb and Berg Aukas! These pieces range from miniatures to large cabinets and start at $50. There is a great mix of attractive display
specimens from this most classic of localities |
THUMBNAIL COLLECTION!
(1-7-08)
A group of exceptionally choice, pristine, elegant thumbnail specimens selected by a well-known collector and friend, which we are selling for him in partnership with dealer/collector Brian Kosnar. |
HAROLD URISH COLLECTION!
(12-14-07)
50 specimens posted from the collection of Harold Urish of Tucson, Arizona. This is a teaser of the more than 500 to come, for Tucson 2008, at our show locations |
QUARTZ from the CHARLIE KEY COLLECTIONS (part II now posted)!
(12-5-07)
Quartz! Every single piece is unique and different! This is the 2nd update of 4 updates offering the large Quartz Collection of Charlie Key. Rather than take these to Munich, I left them at home to work on , and offer on the web first. 2 new pages with over 50 specimens, added 12-5-07
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NEW AMETHYST FROM HUNGARY!
(11-8-07)
Beautiful and unusual amethyst from a new locality (to me) in Hungary. These specimens have an intense lavender-purple hue and sparkle to them. |
NEW FLUORITE FIND FROM "old" NAICA, MEXICO!
(11-7-07)
Specimens from Naica tapered off after the 1980's, and this is the first big new find of classic bevelled fluorites (some cuboctohedral or dodecahedral) from there I have seen in 15 years!
NEW SPECIMENS POSTED FROM A POCKET HIT IN OCTOBER!
I almost took these to Munich but instead left them home to give the web 1st dibs... |
RARE SPECIES FROM THE MARTIN ZINN COLLECTION!:
Over 50 NEW SPECIMENS posted 11-7-07 on pages 9-10
Over 300 specimens posted!
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NEW FINDS: SPECIMEN-GRADE LEPIDOLITE XLS!
(11-8-07)
Specimen-grade finds of Lepidolite from two very different places, both in such bizarre styles and form I was honestly surprised to see them!
In particular, the Brazilian find here sets a new standard and a novel color for the species as a mineral worth adding to display-quality collections! NEW SPECIMENS ADDED and prices reduced on the previously-posted purple Afghani pieces.
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Laura and Stevia Thompson MINIATURE & THUMBNAIL COLLECTION
Approx. 70 specimens Posted 10-16-07
A group of choice, generally beautiful and pristine specimens culled from collections, plus through cherrypicking dealer Wayne Thompson's inflow of incredible Pakistani and Afghani material.
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NEW FROM DENVER - ROUND FLUORITES from CHINA!
A few of these trickled out of China during the Tucson show, and now we have a small further batch. Unlike many other finds from China, especially when new fluorite mines are hit, this particular material seems to be sparse in abundance and has been hard for me to obtain specimens of.
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CHUCK HOUSER SAN DIEGO COLLECTION!
posted 9-21-07
A wonderful San Diego County collection assembled by a friend of mine, Chuck Houser, over many decades of collecting, culling, and wheeling-and-dealing. This is the core collection, though I have sold culls and exchanged items from him in the past through this site.
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NEW FIND: BOTTALACKITE from CORNWALL!
posted 8-23-07
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DEACCESSIONS FROM THE RICE NORTHWEST MUSEUM! posted 8-13-07
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A HISTORICAL STUDY OF DATOLITE CRYSTALIZATION
by Lazard Cahn! posted 8-13-07
A unique collection of almost 4 dozen datolite crystals from the historic Traprock quarries of Massachusetts, with handwritten notes by Cahn describing their crystallography. Offered as a collection only, for $4000
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NEW FIND: WORLD CLASS INYOITE from ARGENTINA! posted 7-25-07
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ED DAVID COLLECTION (20 new specimens added!) ! 7-17-07
A small but diverse selection of worldwide specimens from this amazing 1000-piece collection. I have never had such breadth and depth in quality specimens in any single collection as this one! See "The Vault" Update for more of his pieces.
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selections from the SAM NASSER THUMBNAIL COLLECTIONS
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selections from the WENDELL WILSON THUMBNAIL COLLECTIONS
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NEW GALLERY OF GEMSTONES and CUT & ROUGH SETS! 6-5-07
This is a project I have been meaning to do for awhile,that will spin off on to a new website in time. Here you will find our first ever gallery exclusively dedicated to both collector gem stones (mostly rare species), and a new way of showing cut gems with specimens in Cut & Rough sets designed to go together on a single lucite base for easy display. For the first time, you can easily collect and SHOW cut gems with good specimens in an easy and secure manner, for increased impact. I have seen so many collections where the gems are banished to a drawer somewhere and do not add impact to the specimen because of this. That is hardly a cut and rough set, if you ask me! So, this is my solution to the dilemna...and we'll see if it catches on. We can now modify existing bases or create new ones, for custom mounting of C&R collections! |
NEW FIND: PENNSYLVANIA WAVELLITE! 5-16-07
A new find in nearly its entirety, of unusual wavellite ...colorful new material for the East Coast! |
CHARLIE KEY COLLECTION - NEWLY UPDATED! 4-26-07
NOW POSTED: 100-plus new Kalahari Fields Specimens: Hundreds of minerals will be eventually posted from this famous collection! We purchased, in partnership with collectors Marshall and Charlotte Sussman, the 6000-plus piece collection of African adventurer and mineral dealer Charles Key, after whom the minerals Ludlockite and Keyite are named. |
NEW TUCSON SHOW FINDS - CHINA! 4-12-07
A teaser page of some of the new finds from China, with 2 dozen specimens including large examples of the new "fluorite turtles" which just came out! |
selections from the MARTIN ZINN COLLECTION
REORGANIZED with MORE SPECIMENS POSTED!: (3-26-07)
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selections from the ERNIE SCHLICHTER COLLECTION
REORGANIZED !
3-26-07
I have known Ernie since i was a kid, and was surprised to hear that he had decided to sell his collection; and now i am honored to start presenting much of me 200-specimen selection from the collection online. The second half of my purchase from his collection is now posted (pages 6-10 on this link). As you will see, this is a very nice mix of the common and rare, with emphasis on unusual examples of just about any species he could get hands on! Enjoy!
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NEW FINDS & CLASSICS from INDIA ! 3-26-07
Each year I start saving up Indian minerals cherrypicked from new finds of the previous summer onwards, add to the stash at Tucson bit by bit by choosing from the stock of several suppliers over the course of many visits, and then blow them out all at once as an update of new finds for the last 8 months or so. This 100-piece update includes among the traditional classic Indian material, new finds of striking RED STILBITE; and much of a novel pocket of new APOPHYLLITE that are generally upright, freestanding, and feature unusually stark, planar terminations. I bought well this year...most everything here is priced under $1500 with a few exceptions!
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NEW FINDS- CHINA WULFENITE! 2-23-07
Presenting a wide selection (the largest, I would think...) of specimens from the best wulfenite yet found in China. Wulfenite seems rare there, for some reason. These specimens were found and hoarded over the last 3 years from a new locality in the remote northern areas of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and only recently were the best released for sale. I think I have the majority of the lot, and many of the better pieces, as noted in the recent Mineralogical Record, China II issue! Some specimens were hand-delivered to me before the show, which made the journal. These others are newly arrived and fresh to the market.
Click here to go to :
MINERALOGICAL RECORD ARTICLE ON THE NEW WULFENITE!
That takes you to the Record's website Contents page, where you should next click on
"Online Journal-Axis,". The Red Wulfenite article is listed there first.
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NEW FINDS- CHINA RHODOCHROSITE! 2-23-07
This find has never been productive at the volume we would wish for, with just a trickle seemingly appearing to market at each show. I actually arranged to purchase this lot before Tucson, and did not see more than a handful of loose pieces of this style, from this mine, with other dealers there. Many excellent specimens priced $150-1000! |
MARTIN LEWADNY COLLECTION - 120 MIXED MINERALS !
NOW POSTED
This was going to be a fresh surprise of choice, colorful, affordable specimens for my front tables at the Tucson main show, but I DO NOT HAVE ROOM anymore to put out everything I wanted to take. So...this update contains over 100 specimens from the collection of a Canadian friend, Marty Lewadny. It is a mixture of pieces both historic and contemporary, with a slant towards aesthetic miniatures...reasonably priced $200-1500 with a few outliers.
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NEW FIND OF CRYSTALLINE VARISCITE FROM BRAZIL!
POSTED 11-15-2006
A new find in Brazil of brilliant, ferrroan variscite crystals of a richness and quality seen only before at an old location in Australia!
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RARE ANTIQUE MINERALOGY BOOKS
POSTED 10-18-06
A selection of interesting and rare old mineralogy books from the private collection of Herb Obodda
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NEW FIND: WORLD-CLASS AUGELITES from PERU!
POSTED 9-26-06
Quite possibly the world's best of species, from an unlikely new locality for augelite!
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NEW FIND! SPINEL-TWINNED COPPERS from NEW MEXICO
POSTED 9-7-06
Copper specimens of novel habit for the mine, and the state! These are reminiscent of old Ray Mine material! I bought the wholefind...
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TSUMEB COLLECTION of Dr. Ed Ruggiero
POSTED 7-6-06
A great mix of Tsumeb specimens from the late 1970s and early 1980s!
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selections from the DR. PETER BANCROFT COLLECTION
Pete Bancroft has been one of the leaders of the hobby through both his field collecting and show exhibitions, and perhaps even more through his publishing of several important books: Gem and Crystal Treasures, which showecased the 100 best mineral localities to date, accompanied by specimens and history; and The World's Finest Minerals, showcasing stellar specimens in museums and private collections at the time. (Both books are now sadly out of print and if anybody has copies, in particular of G&CT, I am a buyer - let me know!). From the 1950’s onward, he built one of the world’s finest mineralogical collections, the top portion of which sold to Dave Wilber for the most significant sum ever paid at the time for a mineral collection in modern times. He kept part of that collection, and then added more pieces over the next several decades as well, some of which you see below. For me, his Gem & Crystal Treasures will always be the most important book in the hobby in terms of influencing me as a collector (which I was for a LONG time before becoming a fulltime dealer). When I first read it in the mid-1980s, it knocked me over the head and taught me the difference between a "pretty good rock" and a "fine mineral specimen" with history, locality and ownership pedigree, and true aesthetic value. I am happy to have been able to purchase, through the transportation aid of Ed Swoboda, a portion of Pete's collection. It is true that he sold much of it in the 1970s, but he kept back a lot of specimens all these years, some of which are presented here and in fact come right out of his home office. |
From the STEPHEN SMALE COLLECTION!
1) A selection of mixed specimens from the collection of Steve Smale, who exhibits and sells/trades at our Westward Look Hotel show in my little bloc of rooms. We had (too much?) time to start a few deals agoing, and I picked some choice specimens from his collection culls. I also have a large selection from his Chinese suite, available later on (Steve was situated in Hong Kong teaching mathematics when all the best early Chinese material came out...his "seconds" are everybody else's "firsts"). On that note, there is a new book out about Steve's "real life" career. He is way too modest to plug it, so I will: click here to go to Amazon.com
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CHARLIE KEY COLLECTION & DEALER STOCK LIQUIDATION AUCTIONS!
(end APRIL 29, 2008)
Liquidation Auctions from the stash of longtime dealer Charlie Key! We are quite literally risking giving things away! Diverse selection from both his dealer stock and his private thumbnail collection.
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