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RARE08-2-58 - Imiterite - AUS$ 995 Imiter Mine, Boumalne-Dadès, Ouarzazate Province, Souss-Massa-Draa Region, Morocco (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 4.0 x 3.0 x 2.6 cm
A fine specimen of this very rare species with EYE-VISIBLE crystals to several millimeters in size, undisputably imiterite just from eye examination because they are so large and easily found. The large crystal shown is 5mm , although probably it delves deeper as well. Imiterite is an extremely rare silver mercury mineral species - unusually not an amalgam like luanheite but with discrete chemistry and crystallography. I have seen only a few specimens for sale, of this material, and a friend of mine found this piece for me by looking with a loupe at something like 800 pieces of silver mined from the Imiter mine in 2007. He found only 2 specimens such as this one, amidst all.(TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE08-2-59 - Vajdakite (META-TYPE MATERIAL) - AUS$ 387 SOLD Geschieber vein of the Svornost Mine, Jachymov, N.W. Bohemia, Czech Republic (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, under 1 cm
Here is a VERY RARE specimen of the cotype material for Vajdakite (measuring a few mm in size), named for Josef Vajdak, American mineral collector and dealer of rare minerals. When I bought his Pribram collection in 2006, he also gave me (correction..."gifted" me and yet also added to the sales price) one of his few specimens of material from the little find which provided the type specimen. If I recall correctly, he said that they all came off the same piece of rock, even (which would make this Co-Type, though I cannot say for sure now). But it is from the author, from the same pocket, and is at least metatype material. This is, thus, a micro, but eye visible, and sealed in a plastic tube for safety. I believe he charged me $450 at the time, for the privilege of owning this piece.
RARE08-2-60 - Manganite - AUS$ 995 Ilfeld, Nordhausen, Harz Mts., Thuringia, Germany miniature, 4.2 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm
These are classics, still the world's best of species for manganite crystals since they were found in the 1880s, unsurpassed for overall form and style since. This well-trimmed miniature features a lustrous, jet black, shiny crystal reaching up 3.3 cm and tapering to a wonderful termination. It is much , much more aesthetic than most, and makes for a fine display specimen as well as a choice rarity!
RARE08-2-61 - Shigaite with Rhodochrosite - AUS$ 8294 N’Chwaning Mine, Kalahari, South Africa small cabinet, 5.6 x 4.4 x 2.6 cm ex. Charlie Key
This specimen has impressively large, wine-red crystals of the rare manganese species shigaite, ensconced on attractive, sparkling manganite blades and accented by rhodochrosite. It is from a small 1993 pocket and is said to be one of the best of that pocket . In fact, this was said by Charlie Key himself who brought out the majority of pieces at the time, and then he KEPT THIS PIECE until selling a South African assemblage suite from the collection a few years ago to Harvard, from which this piece came to me because the donor who bought the group kept a few things. An important specimen, this piece at one time was considered one of the world's great specimens for the species and from the only great find for the species. This has changed, only slightly, recently. It still is significant, though others have been found recently of a different style. The new ones are more gracile and fragile-looking (almost like hexagonal red mica blades) although they have a metallic lustre and brighter color, whereas these crystals are more robustly 3-dimensional and darker wine-red. Also this matrix association is unique to the 1993 pocket which really did redefine the species in terms of quality compared to anything imagined previously from micros found in Japan. Another example from this famous pocket is illustrated in the F John Barlow Collection book, in his chapter on South Africa, and is also on this website (item T08-68) . The specimens were dispersed, as you can see, into the major collectors' hands of the time. Charlie, however, kept a few - among them this one.
RARE08-2-62 - Dadsonite - AUS$ 332 Saint-Pons, Alpes de Haute Provence, France miniature, 3.8 x 2.3 x 1.7 cm ex. Jean Behier
A rich specimen of this extremely rare lead/antimony sulfide which also contains chlorine in it. The surface is covered with acicular crystals, and the whole piece is probably massive dadsonite as well. ex. Jean Behier and Alain Martaud Collections.
RARE08-2-63 - Pyrite (rare iron cross twin) - AUS$ 553 SOLD Elba, Italy miniature, 3.3 x 3.0 x 2.1 cm ex. Dr. Eugene Meieran
An extremely rare, fine single crystal showing iron cross twinning in pyrite, ex. Gene Meieran Collection
RARE08-2-64 - Thomsenolite in Ralstonite - AUS$ 1382 Cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, Arsuk, Kitaa (West Greenland) Province, Greenland (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 5.2 x 3.6 x 3.3 cm
This is a very rich specimen with several shallow vugs into which beautiful, transparent crystals of thomsenolite to 8mm grow. The front view, for my taste, is shown in the large image. However the back side is also interesting, and has more crystals, in which the top halves are infused with iron staining, giving them an unusual umber coloration. Old specimen from the late 1800s or early 1900s, from the Freiberg State Mining Museum. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE08-2-65 - Nenadkevichite with Rhodochrosite, Aegerine, Elpidite - AUS$ 2212 Mont St. Hilaire, Quebec, Canada miniature, 3.1 x 2.1 x 1.7 cm
This specimen contains what are by far and away among the largest reported crystals of the species, as do other specimens from the remarkable find of 2003 by MSH specialist collector Gilles Haineult. These crystals are to 8 mm in size and are nice and fat as well, with sharp terminations and good lustre! Previous examples have usually been at the 1-2mm size level or less! These are off the charts for the species. The matrix was extremely loose in the pocket and so nearly all recovered specimens are thumbnails (from which I cherrypicked the best 10 or so back at the time). This was one of the best larger specimens (in terms of XL size and overall coverage) of any I know to have sold, all of which were collected by Haineault in July of 2003. However, I missed out on this particular specimen which went into the MSH collection of James Zigras, from whom I recently obtained it in exchange. The identity has been solidly confirmed and they stand as exceptionally beautiful and significant examples of the species. Matrix associations include superb twinned epidiymite crystals and aegerine.
RARE08-2-66 - Norbergite with Spinel - AUS$ 1604 SOLD Mogok, Burma miniature, 5.5 x 4.2 x 1.8 cm
This specimen features a GEMMY, translucent 2.5-cm-tall norbergite crystal perched on matrix from which it has been excavated carefully. Little sharp red spinels grace it for accent. This is a SUPER crystal for the species, from any locality, and from Mogok its actually quite rare to find them. When I obtained these two specimens from an importer at Tucson, I showed them to a friend who came by soon after and deals in rare gems, as they were translucent. Indeed, he said they would cut unusually fine stones for the species, so here you have an "ugly" magnesium silicate with Cutting rough value ! Couldn't let him do it, so I held them back for sale to collectors, but the yield in gem value should work out to about this price anyhow.
RARE08-2-68 - Jarosite - AUS$ 332 Bristol Silver Mine, Pioche, Lincoln County, Nevada miniature, 5.8 x 5.7 x 4.5 cm
An old specimen of Jarosite from a locality I had not seen before. The jarosite forms as red microcrystals normally, and thus this specimen may be jarosite pseudo after calcite, or heavily investing an original mass of calcite crystals, due to the form and weight.
RARE08-2-69 - Mellite - AUS$ 1051 Csordakúti Mine, Fejer County, Hungary small cabinet, 6.4 x 4.7 x 4.1 cm
Mellite is actually an ORGANIC COMPOUND, a bizarre species indeed! It is an Aluminium mellitate (benzene hexacarboxylate) hydrate, a rare secondary mineral in lignite deposits. Crystals of this quality are seldom seen and I think exclusively come from this small mine. My understanding (though I have no proof of this) is that most were mined prior to WWII and few have been found since. These particular specimens feature extremely sharp faces and are quite displayable (which is unusual - often they are broken or included too heavily by matrix).
RARE08-2-70 - Norbergite with Spinel - AUS$ 1051 SOLD Mogok, Burma miniature, 4.9 x 2.9 x 1.7 cm
This specimen features a GEMMY, translucent 1.3-cm norbergite crystal perched on matrix from which it has been excavated carefully. It is squarish in shape, fairly equant all around, and complete except for a slight conchoidal ding in the lower-right corner (shown at its worst in the second photo, to be clear, so you can se eit doesn't affect display view much at all). Little sharp red spinels grace it for accent. This is a SUPER crystal for the species, from any locality, and from Mogok its actually quite rare to find them. When I obtained these two specimens from an importer at Tucson, I showed them to a friend who came by soon after and deals in rare gems, as they were translucent. Indeed, he said they would cut unusually fine stones for the species, so here you have an "ugly" magnesium silicate with Cutting rough value ! Couldn't let him do it, so I held them back for sale to collectors, but the yield in gem value should work out to about this price anyhow.
RARE08-2-71 - Danburite - AUS$ 1991 Alto Chapare, Chapare Province, Cochabamba Dept., Bolivia small cabinet, 8.5 x 7.1 x 4.8 cm
ex. Richard Kosnar Collection These danburites are included by another mineral that gives them a grey-blue color, and it is quite unique. I have seen many over the years an dusually dismiss them out of hand as not being display-worthy. Fine danburite specimens from Bolivia are very rare, which makes this one all the more spectacular. Imbedded in a matrix of white talc, is a doubly terminated, glassy, medium gray, danburite crystal, measuring 5.5 cm in length (2 inches!). It is terminated all around, freestanding, and complete!
RARE08-2-72 - Lead - AUS$ 2212 SOLD Langban, Sweden small cabinet, 6.1 x 4.4 x 3.5 cm
A stocky, robustly crystallized specimen of NATIVE LEAD from the classic old locality for this element in crystal form, Langban. It is a hefty piece that, as opposed to most of them which are downright UGLY, has at least some aesthetics and displays quite nicely. Comes with custom lucite base, in fact, to prove the point that its one of the few display-worthy lead crystal specimens out there....for a native lead, she's a beaut!
RARE08-2-73 - Mellite - AUS$ 829 Cxzordakut, Tatabanya, Hungary miniature, 4.7 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm
Mellite is actually an ORGANIC COMPOUND, a bizarre species indeed! It is an Aluminium mellitate (benzene hexacarboxylate) hydrate, a rare secondary mineral in lignite deposits. Crystals of this quality are seldom seen and I think exclusively come from this small mine. My understanding (though I have no proof of this) is that most were mined prior to WWII and few have been found since. These particular specimens feature extremely sharp faces and are quite displayable (which is unusual - often they are broken or included too heavily by matrix).
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