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Presenting a classic Old European Collection circa 1900, nearly 300 pieces when finally updated. I think this update is a valuable learning experience, in that it shows what would have been considered a quite respected collection of that era!
OLDEURO-01 - Barite on Dolomite - $1500 SOLD Frizington, Cumberland, England miniature, 5.2 x 3.6 x 3.1 cm
A very aesthetic miniature, especially as it is highly unusual to find such nice blue barite from here balanced on matrix. And in the miniature size, just in great proportions, it makes this one of the better small-sized blues for my taste. The crystals are complete all around and on both sides, nearly pristine (just a few very minor edge wear bits). The old label has no date but this collection was not being added to after 1910 or so and it very probably dates from the late 1800s heyday at this mining district.
OLDEURO-02 - Acanthite - $2500 SOLD Annaberg, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany small cabinet, 6.6 x 3.9 x 2.1 cm
A superb, rare locality specimen with a valid old label clearly showing this is from ANNABERG and not the more commmonly seen Freiberg district. Sharp crystals of calcite decorate and accent this solid cluster of 100% crystallized acanthite, which I have not cleaned to enhance its brightness and so it remains au naturale. Probably from the early to mid 1800s, this is a very rare locality specimen.
OLDEURO-03 - Euchroite - $7600 Lubietova (Libethen), Bystrica Region, Slovakia cabinet, 14.1 x 5.6 x 4.4 cm
A significant specimen from the TYPE LOCALITY both for its size, and for the huge, sharp crystal on matrix that is so seldom seen. That large dominant crystal is just a hair over 1 cm in size, and it is SHARP AND EQUANT. So few euchroites reach this size, and retain such symmetry, it seems. I have seen only a few bigger, and those not so well placed on nice matrix. Overall the specimen is attractive because of the covering of euchroite elsewhere upon it, also inclduing some smaller sharp crystals and in places a more velvety druse. This is an important specimen from THE significant locality for this species. Note the date of 1893 on the second old label, and the listing of the country as Hungary on the Krantz label, dating this piece quite nicely in time!
OLDEURO-04 - Galena (twinned) with Quartz and Siderite - $1800 Freiberg, Saxony, Germany small cabinet, 5.9 x 4.2 x 3.2 cm
This is a very complexly crystallized galena specimen , quite mesmerizing in person, with an acecnting drapery of siderite. THe old label notes that there are some twinned crystals here, and seems to indicate that the piece was illustrated , naming page and figure number for a book or article. This is a fine, aesthetic, AND classic old example of galena from this important mining district. Noteably, good galena is actually more rare on the market today from Freiberg than silver minerals, because so little of it was saved compared to silver species.
OLDEURO-05 - Galena on Siderite - $3000 Neudorf, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany miniature, 5.7 x 4.2 x 3.7 cm
A superb miniature of display quality, with a sharp, 3-D crystal of galena measuring 2.7 cm nicely centered on siderite matrix. this is CLASSIC Neudorf material, always so prized and hard to come by on the market today. The crystal is perfect and complete, symmetric all around except for two small sections where some growth contact apparently took place and there are little microfaces instead of the normal bevel on an edge. These things are ALWAYS expensive, sorry, sometimes in Europe worth more than gold. A symmetric and aesthetic piece like this is just a super rarity.
OLDEURO-06 - Smoky Quartz (Gwindel) - $1250 Switzerland small cabinet, 8.2 x 6.1 x 2.7 cm
If you ever wanted a dramatic smoky Swiss gwindel, this is your chance to get a large piece showing the dramatic twist, and with good smoky color, at a fair price. The piece would be a $2500 specimen if I had a firm lcoality for it (and I am told it is probably from Graubunden area). And it has a few slight dings on two little tips upon one edge which as you see in the pics are not visually detracting in any case. It DOES have gemminess, color, and twist, plus a brilliant internal sparkle to it that is very desirable in this material.
OLDEURO-08 - Tetrahedrite (mercurian) var. Schwatzite - $400 Brixlegg, Tyrol, Austria small cabinet, 8.7 x 7.5 x 5.0 cm
Sharp crystals to 1 cm of this rare mercurian-rich varietal of tetrahedrite, from the classic locality for this species in Europe. Once, this was a valid species in its own right, actually. A rich specimen, overall, that frankly displays better vertically compared to how it is shown
OLDEURO-09 - Topaz on Muscovite - $750 SOLD Alabaschka, near Mursinka, Ural Mountains, Russia cabinet, 9.4 x 7.7 x 5.8 cm
A 1.5 cm blue topaz on a really fine cluster of sharp hexagonal muscovite crystals, from this classic locality that has been important since the early 1800s as a maor source of gem topaz. Matrix specimens are few and so I will pardon a repair at the right price. Note that this topaz is repaired back onto the specimen, although we are fairly confident this is where it originally grew. Perhaps, though, this specimen is even more interesting as an example of a Mursinka muscovite....in person these have a rich lavender/purple color and are MUCH more interesting geometrically than the photos can convey.
OLDEURO-10 - Galena with Fluorite - $200 SOLD Derbyshire, England small cabinet, 9.9 x 6.8 x 5.2 cm
A VERY HEFTY galena specimen with rounded, but recognizably cuboctohedral crystals, to 3.5 cm on edge. In person, it has a bit more 3-dimensionality to it, I assure you. This is a fine, all-around complete cluster of large galenas from the lcoality circa mid-1800s. It has minor associations of fluorite and sphalerite.
OLDEURO-11 - Wulfenite - $750 Tsumeb, Namibia small cabinet, 8.5 x 6.7 x 5.7 cm
Although many crystals are broken, there are some intact ones protected in this vug and in any case this is a very colorful piece with great lustre, and rich color, for a Tsumeb wulfenite. An old label, typed, says that this is from the 2nd oxidation zone, and thus wsa probably one of the last pieces added to this collection.
OLDEURO-12 - Epidote (from its type locality!) - $750 Bourg d'Oisans, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France small cabinet, 9.2 x 8.1 x 5.6 cm
Note the wonderful old labels, one dated 1860 and the other dated September of 1855! THis is from the type locality for the species, where it was first scientifically described from! The specimen is bright and shiny, with lots of crystals. Although some are broken, quite a few 1 cm, sharply terminated crystals are present. I love the crystallography studies accompanying it, rich in detail
OLDEURO-13 - Azurite on Bayldonite - $1250 Tsumeb, Namibia small cabinet, 8.5 x 6.1 x 4.8 cm
A gorgeous, intensely colored specimen of sharp doubly-termianted azurites to 1.5 cm, perched on evergreen-colored massive bayldonite. The solid mass of bayldonite is in part pseudomorphous after mimetite, I would guess, as there are small pockets of sharp replaced crystals within the larger mass. In any case, a beautiful combo piece almost certainly from teh first and oldest mined oxidation zone of Tsumeb.
OLDEURO-14 - Calcite - $300 St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany small cabinet, 8.4 x 4.3 x 3.8 cm
A CLASSIC calcite for this locality, with super sharp, hexagonal, crystals showing translucency and color zoning. THe crystals are to just over 1 cm in size. The overall arrangement is very sculptural.
OLDEURO-15 - Matlockite on Cerussite - $2500 ON HOLD Cromford, Matlock, Derbyshire, England small cabinet, 6.9 x 5.2 x 3.7 cm
A very rich, and VERY rare, large specimen of matlockite featuring platy yellow crystals to just over 1 cm perched in a very heavy cerussite matrix. Is it the prettiest matlockite in the world? No. But it IS a very rich, very showy piece overall. Minor yellow mineralization coats the back (hemimorphite?). This is from the type locality for the specioes.
OLDEURO-16 - Calcite - $350 St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany small cabinet, 7.6 x 6.1 x 4.7 cm
Sharp , classically formed hexagonal calcite from this old loclaity, with crystals to 2 cm nicely displayed on matrix!
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