A classic Old European Collection circa 1900!

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!

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OLDEURO-20 - Manganite on Barite - £ 989
Ilfeld, Thuringia, Germany
small cabinet, 6.8 x 5.5 x 4.3 cm

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A supre specimen from the mid-1880s finds at Ilfeld, which STILL to this day represent the best of species to most folks. This specimen has SHARP, doubly-terminated, unusually pointy manganite crystals to 1.5 cm in size, and they are unusually perched on contrasting matrix of thick, platy barites! It is highly unusual to get such a combination, and the aesthetics here make it one of my favorites for the size and price range, that I have seen. It is so unusual in aspect, I think many people would have a hard time guessing this is a German manganite at first glance.

OLDEURO-67 - Malachite - £ 1187
Burra Burra Mine, Burra, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia
cabinet, 11.7 x 9.5 x 4.2 cm

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Malachite from Burra Burra Mine, Burra, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia [db_pics/pics/oldeuro-67a.jpg]

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Malachite from Burra Burra Mine, Burra, Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia, Australia [db_pics/pics/oldeuro-67b.jpg]

A really impressive, LARGE and hefty specimen of carving-grade malachite in thick layers, capped by a crystallized vug, from this old locality. The piece masses a kilo, over 2 pounds in weight! It is very beautiful and is an important example, I would think, for the locality.

OLDEURO-22 - Fluorite - £ 494
Stolberg, Harz Mountains, Saxony, Germany
small cabinet, 6.6 x 5.4 x 4.5 cm

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A really unusual, complexly stepped fluorite crystal from this famed old locality, with MUCH MORE translucency and a faint hintof pale color, in person. The crystal is complete all around, with only very minor edge wear here and there. Although this specimen has no label with it, it was sight-ID'd by German-specialist/collector Herb Obodda

OLDEURO-120 - Pyrargyrite - £ 1318
St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany
thumbnail, 2.8 x 1.5 x 1.1 cm

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A brilliantly metallic, lustrous, gemmy crystal of 1 cm surmounts this matrix cluster. It is as good a matrix German silver species thumbnail as one could wish. Andreasberg proustites are typically smaller and narrower, and have less lustre, than this spectacular display quality, large thumbnail of the related species pyrargyrite. A question arose in my draft update stage as to whether this could be from Freiberg (because it is so darned GOOD for Andreasberg material), and although I admit it is possible, this collection is heavily waited towards specialist Andreasberg material, with no Freiberg pieces present. This update was also previewed by two specialist German collectors of our era, who didnt see a problem with the attribution. Its a killer either way, but I do think at this point one can confidently say it is a pyrargyrite and most likely from Andreasberg along with the rest of the silver species in this update.

OLDEURO-119 - Stephanite - £ 989
St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany
miniature, 2.5 x 2.1 x 1.5 cm

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Exceptional for a St Andreasberg stephanite (which are rare to begin with!), this is a sharp thumbnail with lustrous, metallic crystals to 1 cm. The major 2 crystals are undamaged on their front but are connected at their bases, along the matrix, by a third, now-broken crystal. However, the piece still shows to dramatic effect and the quality of the other crystals is high.

OLDEURO-104 - Anglesite - £ 956
Monteponi, Sardinia, Italy
small cabinet, 6.4 x 5.7 x 4.1 cm

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A glassy, GEMMY, transparent angelsite of stunning quality, complete except for a very minute bit of edge wear. It measures 1.7 cm across and sits atop a galena pedestal. Classic for this old locale, rarely seen in such aesthetic quality though.

OLDEURO-114 - Stolzite - £ 1187
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
small cabinet, 6.8 x 4.6 x 1.6 cm

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A striking specimen visually, for the lustrous, gemmy, fiery-orange/red stolzite crystals to 5 mm on a stark black background. There is almost no damage to the front, jsut to a few tiny crystals. All the majors are pristine. This is the most classic and treasured habit of Broken Hill stolzite, and the crystals are relatively robust. More crystals are on the backside as well, of the other, more "wulfenite-looking" habit of stolzite. I think these transparent 1-2mm windowpane crystals were mistakenly labelled as raspite on one of the two old labels here.

OLDEURO-30 - Azurite - £ 66
Bisbee, Arizona, USA
small cabinet, 6.2 x 5.4 x 2.6 cm

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A very old Bisbee piece, showing classic sharp and nearly gemmy , bright blue azurites on psilomelane or geothite stalactites.

OLDEURO-32 - Pyrargyrite - £ 66
Zacatecas, Mexico
miniature, 5.3 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm

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A very old Mexican specimen, from the 1800s, showing small crystals of pyrargyrite and I think also of stephanite (platy xls). Probably for the time a good representative example of what would have been rarely seen Mexican mineral specimens, getting across the ocean for collectors.

OLDEURO-33 - Azurite and Malachite - £ 99
Chessy, Lyon, France
miniature, 4.3 x 4.1 x 2.3 cm

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A beautiful radial spray of 1 cm azurite crystals graces one side of this specimen, and unusual bubbly malachite the other. Classic old French material from the mid-to late 1800s.

OLDEURO-60 - Helvite - £ 297
Breitenbrunn, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
small cabinet, 5.6 x 4.1 x 3.5 cm

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Sharp, textbook-like yellow crystals to 3 mm or so are protected inside a natural crevasse in this matrix specimen from an old locale that is actually (I was surprised to find out!) the co-TYPE LOCALITY for the species.

OLDEURO-77 - Anglesite - £ 956
Monteponi, Sardinia, Italy
cabinet, 10.7 x 7.9 x 3.5 cm

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A sharp, 2-cm-wide anglesite crystal perched in matrix makes this a very significant locality specimen, from old mining here. Smaller anglesites, with spearpoint terminations, are mixed in with the quartz you see.

OLDEURO-98 - Calcite - £ 626
St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany
miniature, 5.3 x 5 x 3.6 cm

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A beautiful example of an association I had not yet seen fro mAndreasberg, myself, of sparkling drusy quartz upon a large, translucent calcite rhomb. The whole piece glows when backlit, and is one of the most attractive Andreasberg specimens I can recall seeing of any species, for sheer sparkle value. It is nearly pristine, and certainly complete on front. Label is dated 1832 !

OLDEURO-43 - Erythrite on Quartz - £ 1978
Daniel Mine, Neustadtel, Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany
miniature, 5.9 x 4.7 x 3.3 cm

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A GORGEOUS SPECIMEN with intense, maroon-red crystals of radiating erythrites set against sparkling quartz. This old find, from the mid-1800s and maybe earlier, has always set the standard for the species for sheer color and lustre. These crystals, to 13 mm, exemplify the best of those qualities. Additionally this piece has a nice significance as it is from the type locality for the species. Note the date of 1860 on the label.

OLDEURO-45 - Kermesite - £ 494
Pezinok, Mal� Karpaty Mts, Bratislava Region, Slovakia
small cabinet, 6.6 x 6.1 x 2.8 cm

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Kermesite from Pezinok, Mal� Karpaty Mts, Bratislava Region, Slovakia [db_pics/pics/oldeuro-45a.jpg]

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Kermesite from Pezinok, Mal� Karpaty Mts, Bratislava Region, Slovakia [db_pics/pics/oldeuro-45b.jpg]

A rich specimen, very flashy in person, with large flatlaying crystals to 2 cm in size and a vibrant dark red color. Classic old material from this famous locality.

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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

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