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RARE08-01 - Colusite on Pyrite - $4000 West Colusa Mine, Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana small cabinet, 5.7 x 4.8 x 3.1 cm
This is an incredibly rich specimen for this rare species, the richest I know of in fact. It comes from the collection of Colorado Bureau of Mines geologist Stanley Korozel via dealer Josef Vajdak, who was until recently on his retirement one of the more noted dealers in rarities. This was said to have been collected in the 1960's. Lustrous, metallic, gray crystals of colusite, to .8 cm in length, are associated with brassy crystals of pyrite, of similar size. Colusite is a rare copper, vanadium, arsenic, tin, antimony, sulfide. The entire knob wrapping around the top is SOLID, crystallized colusite with a crystallized region of over 3 x 3 cm.
RARE08-02 - Scorodite - $4000 SOLD Aghbar Mine, Bou Azzer, Morocco small cabinet, 8.3 x 4.4 x 3.4 cm
An ochre colored, limonite matrix is literally covered on both sides by superb SHARP, ISOLATED crystals of glassy and gemmy, richly blue-colored scorodite, to .7 cm across. Only a few worldwide localities are noted for fine scorodite, a rare, hydrated iron arsenate. For this locale, it is quite rare and this would be considered an exceptional specimen among the best recovered from the mine and the country. It is from a small pocket found in 2005, I was told. I have certainly never seen the like from here. What's more, it could pass for a scorodite from Ojuele Mine, pretty easily, given the gossan matrix and the crystal habit and color...and if said to be from Ojuele would command a "historic" premium for the locality So all in all I feel this is a piece of quality that ranks it pretty far up the food chain, excepting only a few pockets at Tsumeb and Mexico, and its good enough it would fool most folks into thinking it the best Ojuela scorodite around at 9-10k value. But, its not - its a surprise from Morocco! Front and back (lower-left) shots are shown
RARE08-03 - Hutchinsonite - $1800 SOLD Quiruvilca Mine, Quiruvilca District, La Libertad Dept., Peru miniature, 4.5 x 4.4 x 2.2 cm
This is one of the richest examples of the species out there, i'd imagine...it is by far the richest piece I have seen for this rare thallium-rich sulfosalt. Not the biggest, but the most richly crystallized. It is composed of extremely robust, diverging sprays of acicular hutchinsonite crystals, many doubly terminated. The crystals, to .75 cm across, are lustrous, dark gray, and nearly cover the host matrix. This is an amazing specimen of the rare lead, thallium, Sulpharsenites. From the collection of my mentor, Carlton Davis. Purchased in the early 1980s from dealer Gary Hansen for $300 (a huge sum in those days for a black rarity!)
RARE08-04 - Francevillite with Curienite - $950 SOLD Mounana Mine (Mouana Mine), Franceville, Haut-Ogooue, Gabon (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 3.7 x 1.7 x 1.1 cm
From the type locality, this matrix specimen of Francvilleite features several bright orange crystals to .5 cm across (large for the species), associated with microcrystallized bright yellow Curienite in rich profusion around them. The color is just incredible. More importantly, the crystal size is shocking for the species, with discrete xls artistically placed on matrix as opposed to the usual "carpet"-like, solid covering or druse of micros. This now-closed mine, once a major uranium source, is the TYPE LOCALITY for both species.
RARE08-05 - Fergusonite - $300 Gole Quarry, Madawaska, Ontario, Canada thumbnail, 2.8 x 1.6 x 1.1 cm
This fine crystallized example of a rare-earth species consists of a columnar, tetragonal, mottled gray-brown crystal on a bit of matrix, 3.0 cm in length. Impressive size and form, particularly for the locality!
RARE08-06 - Triphylite - $750 Newry Mine, Oxford Co., Maine miniature, 5.4 x 3.7 x 3.6 cm
Nestled aesthetically in a vug of quartz with minor muscovite, are a few crystals of blue-gray, triphylite, to 1.0 cm across. They are SHARP, unusually so for the species! This is a classic East Coast locality , but its hard to get good specimens. Triphylite, a rare lithium iron phosphate, is sometimes found in pods within a pegmatite. However, crystals of this quality are extremely hard to find. Ex John Sinkankas specimen, and his card is accompanying the piece still.
RARE08-07 - Miargyrite - $3500 SOLD San Genaro Mine, Huancavelica Dept., Peru small cabinet, 6.1 x 4.2 x 2.7 cm ex. Martin Zinn
Exceptionally attractive, thick rosettes of iridescent miargyrite, to 2.0 cm across, abound on this specimen. Miargyrite is a rare silver sulfo-salt and this specimen represents the very best of the species from this locality and they are also considered among the best ever found for the species. This piece was part of the rarities suite of Marty Zinn, from his collection which sold in 2004. It is one of the few pieces from this find i would class as "display quality" and not just "representative" of species and place.
RARE08-08 - Vauxite - $1450 SOLD Huanuni mine, Huanuni, Dalence Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia small cabinet, 7.3 x 3.2 x 2.1 cm
This is a fine crust of sparkling, dark blue crystals of vauxite. The largest rosette of crystals is 1.0 cm across. Named by Sam Gordon for his patron in the late 1920’s, vauxite is a rare, hydrous ,iron, aluminum, phosphate. Large plates of this uniform quality and color are rare and this is a particularly beautiful larger plate as well!
RARE08-09 - Grandidierite - SOLD Cap Andrahomana, Ranopiso Department, Anosy (Fort Dauphin) Region, Tuléar (Toliara) Province, Madagascar (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 2.5 x 2.0 x 1.6 cm
Sharply crystallized examples of this species are very rare, and this is the first I personally have handled. This is the type locality, from which specimens were recovered around 1900 and identified in 1902. This is a rare magnesium, aluminum oxide, borate silicate and here occurs in lustrous, slightly translucent, sky blue crystals, to 1.5 cm across. This ENTIRE CLUSTER is composed of sharp tabular crystals, although with some contacts at the edges.
RARE08-10 - Ferronigerite-2N1S - $200 SOLD Stiepelmann Mine, Arandis, Swakopmund District, Erongo Region, Namibia thumbnail, 1.0 x 0.8 x 0.1 cm
Exhibiting perfect hexagonal symmetry along with being doubly terminated, this tabular crystal is very lustrous with some translucence. It appears to possess a beautiful,dark brown color. It is one of the larger, more gemmy crystals of this size from a find about 2-3 years ago now, and these represent the pinnacle of the species (so I am told). In any case, ffor the geometry alone, its a neat thumbnail crystal of a very rare rarity!
RARE08-11 - Vauxite - $1850 Huanuni Mine, Huanuni, Prov. Dalence, Dept. Oruro, Bolivia miniature, 5.7 x 4.8 x 2.5 cm ex. Brian Kosnar
A fine, translucent crust of rich, sparkling, blue vauxite in rosettes to 1.5 cm across - a rarity in such a displayable miniature. First discovered by Sam Gordon and later named for his patron in the late 1920’s, vauxite is a hydrous, iron, aluminum, phosphate. This piece has SUPERB 3-dimensional aesthetics and is one of the best miniatures of its style I have seen. ex. Brian Kosnar Collection (and he has had great Bolivian things over the years, and kept this one out of all that passed through his hands, so that says something!)
RARE08-12 - Bavenite - $900 Cantera Venero # 1, Cadalso de los Vidrios, Madrid, Spain miniature, 4.5 x 3.8 x 3.2 cm
Associated with colorless quartz, is a vug containing lustrous and translucent, ivory colored sheaves of the rare mineral bavenite. The crystals, to .7 cm across, were first found in the Baveno area of Lake Maggiore, Italy. Their chemistry is made up of calcium, beryllium, aluminum, silicate. These are OUSTANDING and large crystals for the species - the best i have personally seen for sale.
RARE08-13 - Skutterudite - $1800 Bou-Azzer, Bou-Azzer Dist., Morocco small cabinet, 6.5 x 6.3 x 4.2 cm
This is an absolutely spectacular DISPLAY-QUALITY specimen of skutterudite. The crystals are aesthetically perched high on the matrix and consist of splendent, silver colored, complex forms to 2.0 cm in length. Skutterudite is a somewhat rare, cobalt arsenide. While larger crystals have been found, the color and luster of these cannot be improved upon and this is aesthetically one of the best I have seen form a locality that often produces clunky larger crystals in clunkier, hefty matrix. To have an arborescent cluster on display like this is really phenomenal. It is repaired , and stabilized further with glue in the back to stop the matrix from crumbling (it has some cracks running through it - but they don't visually distract as you can see), hence a lower price for the piece than you might think on first inspection visually. There are even a few milky white quartz crystals, to 1.0 cm in length, emplaced on the matrix for extra effect.
RARE08-14 - Armenite - $1450 Wasen Alp, Simplon, Wallis, Switzerland thumbnail, 1.6 x 0.6 x 0.5 cm
Very rare and almost never found in crystals this large or perfect, this is a super-rare Alpine species! This armenite crystal is colorless and translucent to transparent. It is simply a world class thumbnail here, awesome for the species!
RARE08-15 - Aragonite var. Tarnowitzite - $175 SOLD Tsumeb, Namibia thumbnail, 2.3 x 2.2 x 1.5 cm
This is a magnificent crystal cluster of tarnowitzite, the rare, lead based variety of aragonite. The crystals exhibit pearlescent luster, translucence and an ivory color. The largest crystal measures 2.0 cm in length. Without doubt this is a superb competition quality thumbnail.
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