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Plain ol' clear quartz crystals are by some people regarded as a
mineral species too pedestrian to put next to fancy gem beryls and
tourmalines; and Arkansas quartz is often cast as something so common
it should be sold by the pound and ignored by sophisticated
collectors. Blasphemy, I say! I have looked at Arkansas quartz for
over 20 years now, and every now and then I have seen pieces that leap
out at me and transcend the common material, however good it
admittedly all may be on average. The difference between world-class
Arkansas quartz and an almost-ran (at a much cheaper price)that is
still great to the untrained eye is often a mix of aesthetics and
condition. It is easy to find loose singles in good shape, but
extremely unconmmon to be able to extract and then stash crystals of
the size and freestanding aesthetics shown below. Rarely do you see a
large lot of such specimens in one place, though. When they do turn
up, THESE are the pieces to own, the pieces which for
rarity-in-context can indeed complement a fine collection of worldwide
gem species (and in fact, for what they are, a truly outstanding
Arkansas quartz of this level may rank higher in terms of where it
stands amongst the crowd than the fancy and more expensive tourmaline
next to it, I'd wager). This update consists of a whole group of such
specimens that I was privileged to select from the personal collection
of one of the mine owners of one of the great quarries in
Arkansas. These have been collected by him over the last 20 years or
so.
QTZ-01 - Quartz - $1800 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas cabinet, 11.5 x 7.9 x 7.0 cm
This is a spiralling knoll of crystals featuring a pristine razor-sharp 8 x 3 x 2.5 cm crystal that dominates this cluster, aesthetically balanced by the angled accent crystal pointing south (6 cm long). Everything here is pristine and undamaged save only on the bottom of the piece and along a shallow contact on the back of the specimen. It is big without being too big, as so many can be. The crystal is significant for the size and perfection, and because it sticks up so vertically with no detractions to show how complete it is all around. The lustre and clarity is of the top few percentage points.From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-02 - Quartz - $750 Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas small cabinet, 7.2 x 6.4 x 5.1 cm
A dramatic specimen which is of very high quality, and a good size and price range. It features two 5-cm-long crystals splaying out from a quartz matrix, with smaller accent crystals. Undamaged and complete, except at the bottom periphery where it was contacted and removed from the pocket. A hint of iron staining at the base of the crystals gives some slight coloration there. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-03 - Quartz - $400 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas small cabinet, 7.0 x 6.3 x 4.3 cm
This is an elegant cluster of gem crystals sprouting from a common core. It displays well vertically as shown, with the two pristine crystals to each side. The bottom crysatl, the natural pedestal, is contacted on the bottom tip where I would mount it. Pristine otherwise! This piece has TOP lustre to it, and amazing transparency that is more obvious in person. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-04 - Quartz - $2750 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas large cabinet, 17.6 x 16.0 x 8.6 cm
This is a large plate, remarkably free of any major damage despite its exposure in the pocket! In person, this is like a splaying fan, with crystals radiating out from the bottom-center. The larger crystals are 13, 10 and 10 cm long. Despite all those freestanding tips pointing to the side sand out to the viewer here, none are damaged! Not even a ding is on any termination and on the whole piece only one tiny ding is on one small edge leading to a termination, only. Because of the size and 3-dimensionality, this one was particularly difficult to photograph and I can simply say it is MUCH better in person, and amazing to have survived in such condition. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-06 - Quartz - $4200 Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas large cabinet, 17.4 x 13.3 x 9.6 cm
It is rare to find such a massive crystal sitting so starkly upright, that hasn't had its termination smashed a bit. This crystal, measuring 17 x 9 x 8 cm, defies the odds! It is a superbly formed, equant crystal that jumps straight up from its attendant smaller crystals at the base, and it is complete and viewable 360-degrees. You can run fingers over all edges and find no defect at all, no ding, excepting only 3 teeny tiny indentations on the lower portion of one side edge - and these are almost certainly natural growth indentations as I do not see fracture-induced microcracks around them. Remember that you are looking through a THICK, FAT crystal and so the internal veils it has in person are magnified by the camera looking through 4 inches of quartz, so in person it does appear a bit more internally transparent than you see here. Still, the photos give a hint, and if the hint is interesting the piece in person will really impress. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-07 - Quartz - $4500 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas cabinet, 14.2 x 10.8 x 9.5 cm
A spectacular cluster featuring a dominating , fat, razor-sharp cruystal the size of a beer can in the midst of accessory crystals. It is 12 x 7 x 6, perfectly vertical and complete all around, with NO DAMAGE whatsoever! There is one small natural growth indentation of 2 mm on one edge, but otherwise the surfaces are razor sharp and can slice a finger. The second crystal on the left side is likewise pristine, and these are fat and clear...so they are more clear in person than they appear in photos. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-08 - Quartz - $2250 Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas cabinet, 16.2 x 13.2 x 11.6 cm
This is another large cluster with a miraculously well preserved dominant large crystal , approx. 12 x 8 x 7 cm in size, perched in a cluster. This crystal has a razor-sharp termination youc an cut yourself on, and is pristine except only the slightest of wear you can barely feel with your finger on one edge, and a few trivial dings on one back edge that are nearly invisible anyhow. As with the other large matrix crystals here, it is hard to explain the care that must be taken to extract these heavy plates without damage to the tips. Although Arkansas quartz is common enough in lower quality specimens, specimens of this calibre are NOT readily available and never have been. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-10 - Quartz - $1250 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas cabinet, 12.1 x 10.5 x 8.7 cm
This sharp, complete-all-around crystal measures 10 x 4 x 4 cm and stands dramatically from a plate of other points, all very clear and lustrous! This crystal is so sharp, so pristine, and so clear, that it looks carved! From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-11 - Quartz - $15000 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas large cabinet, 29.0 x 20.2 x 11.4 cm
A stunning large, roseate cluster of GEM CLEAR, brilliantly lustrous quartzes with NO DAMAGE AT ALL to any crystal on the whole radiating cluster! This is unbelieveable to me. The pictures do NOT convey the majesty of the piece (and that is the word). It is the size of a small watermelon, sparkles , and is absolutely perfect on all crystals...you just could not ask for more in this size range. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
QTZ-12 - Quartz - $8200 SOLD Coleman Mine, near Jessieville, Garland County, Arkansas cabinet, 19.5 x 15.5 x 14.8 cm
Another (more normal-sized for most collections!) striking roseate cluster, complete all around, of gemmy , brilliant and clear quartz points that just is mesmerizing in person. It is incredibly 3-dimensional, so that its hard to hold without risking a slice to the finger from a sharp point shooting g out in some direction. The brilliant lustre, the gem clarity to the dominant crystal - absolutely top notch! the pictures do NOT do this one justice. Yes, the price seems high for an Arkansas quartz BUT measure out the size, consider tha tthis is absolutely pristine, and start thinking about how few pieces of such size and calibre you can honestly say to have seen out there. Its not as many as you first think! Common or not, I regard Arkansas quartz as a national classic, and something worthy of being in any collection, even the most sophisticated. The trick, however, is finding those special pieces in the top tenth of a tenth of a percentile that stand out to the eye as being above the run of the mill. This piece, I just cannot emphasize enough, is that special. In person, its obviously more impressive, too. From the personal collection of mine owner Ron Coleman.
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