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New Rares Species
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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)
This is an old specimen that Ed Swoboda found in his garage a few years ago and sold to me recently, of a doubly-terminated xenotime of exceptional size. Although crudely formed, perhaps, it is still complete and rather large for the locality and species.
Weloganite is a bizarre complex zirconium carbonate that ONLY occurs in large crystals at this, the type locality. I am still surprised at this fact, given the prevalence of other carbonate species worldwide, but there you have it. It was not even found and recognized til the 1960s, and now the place is effectively mined out - at least, none has been found here in some 20 years so far as I know. This is a nice cluster with good color, and the classic oddball form as you see in the stacked disc-shaped segments that combine to form a doubly-terminated, tapered barrel. Few specimens beyond thumbnails are on the market these days. (TYPE LOCALITY)
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)
Matrix hambergites are for some reason rare, and for that matter good sharp crystals are pretty rare on a worldwide basis in and of itself. Afghanistan has recently produced some of the best yet known, for the species. Some are giants, but few are sharp, and gemmy as we have here. This specimen hosts a gorgeous, 2.3 x 1.1 x 1 cm crystal of hambergite, sharply twinned and with SHARP faces and edges as opposed to the usual etched faces we often see. Both the sharpness and the twinning are extremely uncommon, even from this productive locale. It is perched as if floating on a cloud of albite matrix. Especially for the size range, I can hardly imagine a better example.
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)
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.
Rich, lustrous, gun-metal colored nagyagite crystals to 6 mm cascade down onto this quartz-covered matrix. A fine specimen for a showy, display-quality miniature of this species. These are pocket crystals grown into an open cavity, and so notably these crystals have superb lustre, not indicative of the acid-leaching so often used on this material to free crystals from enclosing quartz. The crystals are, for the species, unusually robust as well. I have had more pricey example sof this species, but few i liked better for the overall representation of quality and display aesthetics as this piece. (TYPE LOCALITY)
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.
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).
This specimen features a very equant, lustrous, sharply formed bixbyite perched upon a natural pedestal of topaz and smaller bixbyites. This is a rather large bixbyite crystal, about as big as you can get and be perched upon something, matrix or association, and yet still be a competitive thumbnail size. Obtained from the collector, John Holfert, approx. 10 years ago
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).
This is, for the species, exceptionally rich and with large crystals for the species. These red crystals to 2 mm sit on a mound of hematite, possibly the remains of a hematite after garnet, I have heard some say. The piece is showy and rich, with more color and larger crystals than on other samples I have seen) and I have only seen small thumbnails, mostly with sub-mm crystals, in the past). Obtained from the collector, John Holfert, approx. 10 years ago.
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)
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)
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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Mineral Specimens by species; or
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share specimen![Cylindrite from Santa Cruz Mine, Poopó town, Poopó Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-12a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-12a.jpg)
![Cylindrite from Santa Cruz Mine, Poopó town, Poopó Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-12b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-12b.jpg)
![Cylindrite from Santa Cruz Mine, Poopó town, Poopó Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-12c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-12c.jpg)
![XENOTIME from Atalaia Quarry, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil [db_pics/pics/rare-09-13a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-13a.jpg)
![XENOTIME from Atalaia Quarry, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil [db_pics/pics/rare-09-13b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-13b.jpg)
![Weloganite from Francon Quarry, Ville St. Michel, Quebec, Canada (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-14a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-14a.jpg)
![Weloganite from Francon Quarry, Ville St. Michel, Quebec, Canada (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-14b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-14b.jpg)
![KOVDORSKITE from Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-08a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-08a.jpg)
![KOVDORSKITE from Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-08b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-08b.jpg)
![KOVDORSKITE from Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-08c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-08c.jpg)
![HAMBERGITE from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/rare-09-15a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-15a.jpg)
![HAMBERGITE from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/rare-09-15b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-15b.jpg)
![HAMBERGITE from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/rare-09-15c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-15c.jpg)
![HAMBERGITE from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/rare-09-15d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-15d.jpg)
![SUREDAITE from Pirquitas Mine (sector Oploca, level 7 1/4), Jujuy, Argentina (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-06a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-06a.jpg)
![SUREDAITE from Pirquitas Mine (sector Oploca, level 7 1/4), Jujuy, Argentina (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-06b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-06b.jpg)
![DIASPORE on MARGARITE from Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey [db_pics/pics/rare-09-05a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-05a.jpg)
![DIASPORE on MARGARITE from Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey [db_pics/pics/rare-09-05b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-05b.jpg)
![DIASPORE on MARGARITE from Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey [db_pics/pics/rare-09-05c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-05c.jpg)
![DIASPORE on MARGARITE from Mugla Province, Aegean Region, Turkey [db_pics/pics/rare-09-05d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-05d.jpg)
![NAGYAGITE from Nagyag, Hunedoara Co., Romania (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-16a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-16a.jpg)
![NAGYAGITE from Nagyag, Hunedoara Co., Romania (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-16b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-16b.jpg)
![NAGYAGITE from Nagyag, Hunedoara Co., Romania (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-16c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-16c.jpg)
![Tellurite from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-40a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-40a.jpg)
![Tellurite from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-40b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-40b.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-04a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-04a.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-04b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-04b.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-04c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-04c.jpg)
![BIXBYITE with TOPAZ from Solar Wind Claim, Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/pics/rare-09-17a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-17a.jpg)
![BIXBYITE with TOPAZ from Solar Wind Claim, Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/pics/rare-09-17b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-17b.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-02a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-02a.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-02b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-02b.jpg)
![TELLURITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico [db_pics/pics/rare-09-02c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-02c.jpg)
![DURANGITE from Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/pics/rare-09-19a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-19a.jpg)
![DURANGITE from Thomas Range, Juab Co., Utah, USA [db_pics/pics/rare-09-19b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-19b.jpg)
![XOCOLATLITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-00a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-00a.jpg)
![XOCOLATLITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-00b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-00b.jpg)
![XOCOLATLITE from Bambolla Mine, Moctezuma, Sonora, Mexico (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-00c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-00c.jpg)
![KOVDORSKITE from Kovdor Iron Mine, Kovdor, Kola Peninsula, Russia (TYPE LOCALITY) [db_pics/pics/rare-09-11a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/rare-09-11a.jpg)