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RARE-09-00 - XOCOLATLITE - $ 1450 SOLD Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 4.5 x 3 x 3 cm
One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson. This is THE ONLY example of this relatively new tellurate species I have yet seen for sale, and I am told it is a very good one as well, from the limited supply available. It was part of a study group of specimens given to a major Museum (label included with purchase), and then traded to me at the Tucson 2009 show. The species was named for the Aztec word for chocolate, the color of its crystals. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-01 - POUGHITE - $ 450 Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) small cabinet, 5.8 x 4.7 x 2.0 cm
One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson. This is a very rich specimen with microcrystalline yellow poughite and perhaps other telluride minerals as well. Although more colorful on front, there is poughite on both sides of the specimen, and it can be broken up easily into many study or trading samples. VERY RARE in such quality! (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-02 - TELLURITE - $ 1500 Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico small cabinet, 5.9 x 5.9 x 4.5 cm
One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson. This is a very rich specimen with a HUGE composite Tellurite crystal measuring OVER 1.2 CM in size! It is composed of numerous parallel-growth crystals of the same length, joining together. Many individual crystals to several millimeters in size line the quartz vug which this crystal projects into. This is almost unheard of from previous finds - certainly I had never seen the like for sale. Only microcrystals are readily available to the collector, and those not easily found on the market today (from workings 40-50 years ago). Colorful, displayable, and frankly VERY RARE in such quality! Small yellow patches of micro-poughite are also present, it appears (but not confirmed by analysis).
RARE-09-03 - DENNINGITE with TELLURITE - $ 450 SOLD Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 5.5 x 4.3 x 2.2 cm
Denningite is found ONLY at this mine, the type locality for the species recognized in 1961 from material found in the 1940s-1950s. One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson. This is a very rich specimen with vitreous, very nice yellow, elongated crystals of denningite admixed with microcrystalline or acrystalline yellow tellurite. It is rich and colorful throughout the display face. I am told that mixed with the denningite is often spiroffite, and the two are often mislabelled one way or the other, but this has not been determined for this specimen. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-04 - TELLURITE - $ 600 Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico miniature, 4.1 x 4.0 x 3.7 cm
One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson. This is a very rich specimen with a HUGE Tellurite crystal measuring 1.2 CM in size! Several other crystals to several millimeters in size line the quartz vug which this crystal projects into. This is a large protected crystal that displays beautifully. This is almost unheard of from previous finds - certainly I had never seen the like for sale. Only microcrystals are readily available to the collector, and those not easily found on the market today (from workings 40-50 years ago). Colorful, displayable, and frankly VERY RARE in such quality! Small yellow patches of micro-poughite and paratellurite are also present, it appears (but not confirmed by analysis).
RARE-09-40 - Tellurite - $ 600 Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico miniature, 3.3 x 2.0 x 1.3 cm
A single, gorgeously formed, terminated, brightly colored tellurite crystal perched in a protected vug,lined with drusy quartz - a beautiful specimen that will make for incredible microphotography for the species! The crystal is approx 5-6mm long.One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson.
RARE-09-41 - MROSEITE with TELLURITE - $ 750 Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) cabinet, 10.7 x 7.6 x 4.0 cm
This large specimen features numerous fat tellurite crystal clusters to 5-6mm perched on the edges of a protected vug,lined with drusy quartz - a beautiful and unusually rich specimen. Though there is some damage, there is a lot of material here to make up for that. Moreover, this piece is rich in the rarer species Mroseite, which is present as white cleavage fragments all over the lefthand side of the specimen (per Bill Pinch, Mark Feinglos, and Marcus Origlieri by visual inspection). One of the surprises of 2007 for rarities was the reworking of the famous old Bambolla mine in the Moctezuma tellurium complex for specimens, by several European-led collecting teams. Many specimens were then sold at Munich 2008 and this year in Tucson.
RARE-09-05 - DIASPORE on MARGARITE - $ 1500 Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey miniature, 3.8 x 2.6 x 2.3 cm
Gem diaspore from this classic old locality in Turkey sets the standard for the species so far as I am concerned. This specimen hosts a 3.7-cm crystal , doubly-terminated crystal perched in matrix of crystallized margarite. Matrix specimens are VERY RARE for this locality! Usually these come out only as loose crystals, loose floaters perhaps. Matrix specimens are most uncommon. This can be displayed horizontally or vertically to equal effect.
RARE-09-06 - SUREDAITE - $ 650 Pirquitas Mine (sector Oploca, level 7 1/4), Jujuy, Argentina (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 5.0 x 4.9 x 4.0 cm
A very rich specimen of this extreme rarity with thick mattes of crystals to several mm in size. Some are damaged a bit, but there is much good material here also. This Pb-Sn-S mineral, similar in overall appearance with teallite, is a unique mineral. Pirquitas is the only worldwide occurrence. This is astonishing because a tin-rich mineralogy including franckeite, cylindrite, teallite etc. but without suredaite is wide-spread throughout the famous Ag-Sn belt extending from Bolivia into NW-Argentina. Though massive suredaite is fairly common in one sector at Pirquitas, xls were never common. These crystallized specimens are all from a small lot found in the last few years. The xls are really unprecedented for the species and not many specimens have been collected at the only location which now is abandoned. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-07 - CHALCOPHYLLITE - $ 1250 Wheal Gorland, Cornwall, England miniature, 4.2 x 3.1 x 2.4 cm ex. Dr. Mark Feinglos
A beautiful, classic crystal of rather large size (fully 1 cm!), from these famous mines circa mid to late 1800s. This crystal has the sharp hexagonal form and riveting blue color for which Cornwall became famously known. Such fine examples, all more than 100 years old, are hard to come by. This is a superb specimen for crystal size , well displayed on matrix. They don't make them like this from other mines, still to this day. ex. Mark Feinglos Collection
RARE-09-08 - KOVDORSKITE - $ 450 Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 1.7 x 1.0 x 0.8 cm
This sharp, gemmy crystal is from the now-famous "blue pocket" where several of the larger crystals had a slight blue color to them, from the early 1990s as I recall. It is sharp, lustrous, and gemmy - and most people consider crystals from this pocket to be the best of species but for all that fame, its nice to also be attractive as well. Complete 360, this is a killer thumbnail notable for its form and lustre.(TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-09 - KOVDORSKITE - $ 150 SOLD Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 2.7 x 1.8 x 1.1 cm
This crystal cluster has a slightly pink hue to it, and came out shortly after the species type find here, I would guess from remembering when these came to market. The crystals are sharp and lustrous and the cluster is complete all around. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-10 - KOVDORSKITE - $ 250 Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 2.2 x 1.5 x 1.1 cm
This crystal cluster has a slightly pink hue to it, and came out shortly after the species type find here, I would guess from remembering when these came to market. The crystals are sharp and lustrous and the cluster is complete all around. For a thumbnail example of this species, that isn't just a single cystal, I find this a surpisingly elegant piece.(TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-11 - KOVDORSKITE - $ 90 SOLD Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) thumbnail, 1.4 x 1.4 x 0.6 cm
This sharp, gemmy crystal is from the now-famous "blue pocket" where several of the larger crystals had a slight blue color to them, from the early 1990s as I recall. You can see a hint of this color at the base. It is sharp, lustrous, and gemmy - and most people consider crystals from this pocket to be the best of species but for all that fame, its nice to also be attractive as well. Although a notable crystal for qualities of lustre and gemminess, this sadly has a small ding on its termination, and thus is worth less than the piece above. (TYPE LOCALITY)
RARE-09-12 - Cylindrite - $ 600 Santa Cruz Mine, Poopó town, Poopó Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) miniature, 4.0 x 2.3 x 2.3 cm
Cylindrite is the only mineral species, so far as i know, whose natural crystal habit is cylindrical! It is still found today at this locality, known for this most unusual sulfide species since the 1890s. However, most specimens have rather wimpy, thin crystals that at first glance look more acicular or like zinckenite than cylindrical in a startling manner, as we have here. These robust, thick, well-exposed crystals are really top of the game for the species. I have seen many examples, but few so well-developed as this, in terms of showing off the form so readily. (TYPE LOCALITY)
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