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Mineral Specimens with Albite
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Classic locality combination with schorl, snow-wite albite, and etched orange spessartine in matrix (though there is not much there, I admit)8 x 6.4 x 5.5 cm
An interesting, attractive knob of albite with smokies pointing up through it every which way! Acquired from the collection of Tim Sherburn, who got it from Louis Spaulding Jr. (current owner of the mine made famous by his father) in 1993 8.7 x 8.3 x 5.1 cm
This important specimen is a rare matrix morganite with crystals to 4 cm, and gemmy at that. They have a brilliant internal brightness to them and a rich peachy color that is really quite unique to the old White Queen material, not matched for 3 decades. This piece would have originated with mine owner Norm Dawson and it has been through several collections in recent decades, most notably Dr. Edward David's first collection (dispersed in 1993) - his numbered label remains on the backside. At some point in the mid-90s it was repaired (cleanly) by dealer Cal Graeber. The repair is invisible unless you know to look for it and runs betweenm the two major crystals so that the crystals themselves are not repaired as such. Matrix morganties from California are rare, but pieces of this calibre are really limited to just a few dozen pieces and most of those are untouchable because they are in museums or priced over 20 thousand dollars these days. This is like owning a piece of history, and is a good investment as they only go up in value. 10.1 x 9.6 x 9.5 cm
A CLASSIC San Diego garnet, most likely dating to the Louis Spalding Sr. era of mining when the best all came out of this small mine in remote San Diego County. This is a SUPER specimen as it features a crystal which is not only large (2.5 cm) but sharply formed whereas most of them are etched and partially dissolved. Large, intact spessartines of this size are VERY scarce on the market and even in the major collections in San Diego where they are considered one of the top collectibles from the area. 6 x 6 x 5 cm
Previously from the Don Olson collection, this is a REALLY impressive rock even for those of us who are not exactly partial to feldspars...the aesthetics of the white cleavelandite and purple lepidolite crystals really make the piece special and accentuate the sharp twinning of the feldspar itself! Not a tourmaline, but nevertheless one of my favorites in the lot! 10.1 x 9.3 x 4.5 cm
A CLASSIC San Diego combo specimen, most likely dating to the Louis Spalding Sr. era of mining when the best all came out of this small mine in remote San Diego County. This is a really showy combination specimen for the price, as it features a 1.2 cm partially etched crystal which is not only very colorful but also still retains some of the original crystal faces (though not all). Nearly all garnets of any size recovered from this mine show etching to some degree , asthe solutions started to resorb them sometime after formation. Here, at least, the crystal has color and visual appeal especially as it sits nicely in contrasting white albite between two schorl rabbit-ears. Large, intact spessartines of this size are VERY scarce on the market and even in the major collections in San Diego where they are considered one of the top collectibles from the area. This one came through noted California dealer Al Ordway, who always has great San Diego stuff from the old days! 5.7 x 5 x 2.5 cm
9.8 x 6.9 x 6.4 cm. A large, stunning specimen of gem aquamarine crystals on matrix. It features a fabulous 7.3-cm cluster of doubly-terminated crystals, tightly intergrown, perched on the edge of a matrix of euhedral crystals of albite. All of the crystals in this cluster are terminated, at both ends. The cluster evidently formed with its display side in the open space of the pocket, allowing the bottom terminations to be exposed rather than embedded in albite, so you can see the entire lengths of the crystals.
A 1.2 and a 0.8 cm crystal of tantalite, which is extremely rare from any mine in San Diego COunty and notably so from the Elizabeth R. From the collection of Roland Reed, mine owner (the mine is named after his daughter). This is a VERY IMPORTANT locality specimen. 9.1 x 7.3 x 4.2 cm
11.1 x 3.3 x 1.9 cm. A superb, highly lustrous, striated, sharply terminated, cabinet sized schorl crystal beautifully accented with water-clear quartz crystals and bladed, snow-white albite from recent finds in the Shigar Valley of Pakistan. The large, 2.5 cm, quartz crystal is doubly terminated. Ex. Gene Meieran Collection.
A rich thumbnail specimen (one of the best thumbs, in fact) with the top completely covered by a mat of sharp kosnarite crystals. Minor zanazziite, as well. Horrible pic, I know. A bit better in person 2 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm
11.0 x 9.7 x 6.4 cm. A large specimen with two kunzite crystals, both terminated on the end. The larger, chunky one measures 4.5 cm and is 1.7 cm thick. The other measures 2.5 cm, with less color but nicely transparent. A good example of this modern classic on matrix.
This specimen is from a rare and very special find: a small pocket hit around 1992 and characterized by the thin, richly-colored blue cap on the prism termination. So far as I am aware, this was the ONLY such find at Stak Nala (which is certainly now more or less defunct for tourmalines of this habit). They remain one of the Holy Grails of tourmaline collectors and frankly, I do not think there are more than several dozens to be had. This one came to me after going through 2 collections, and was purchased at the time they came out as one of the more bright and colorful specimens. This is one of the very gemmiest and brightest of the lot , I guarantee, as most had rather dull lustre, in person. True, the tourmaline is mostly embedded, but the albite actually serves to highlight and contrast the blue termination, and serves to hide what is usually a murky green tourmaline core in any case, making for better dramatic display all around. The tourmaline is deeply nestled in the overlaying leaves of white Cleavelandite , but the top 1 cm-plus of the termination erupts from the Cleavelandite and is both complete and visible ALL around. Also, the tourmaline is doubly-terminated as the bottom tip sticks out from the Cleavelandite at the base of the specimen! At the base, pointing downwards near the tourmalines second termination, there is a Cleavelandite-covered crystal of hambergite which, like the tourmaline, has a free termination but is otherwise embedded. Sort of a bonus, that! 7.5 x 6 x 5.5 cm
4.1 x 3.9 x 2.3 cm. A sharp, lustrous, lightly iridescent, brownish-black, 1.6 cm, tabular tantalite crystal is perched on a contrasting matrix of euhedral, porcelaneous albite crystals on this fine specimen from an uncommon Pakistan locale - Chilas, Diamar District, Northern Areas.
8.9 x 6.3 x 5.0 cm. A sprinkling of gemmy, wine-red spessartine garnets, to 1 cm (though most are smaller), on a snow-white, euhedral crystal of albite with gleaming faces. The isolation of the garnets, as well as the sharp faces of the albite crystal (rather than a clunky chunk) are what make this specimen attractive.
4.1 x 3.3 x 3.0 cm. An excellent example of both of these species from an important find brought to market by Carlos Barbosa before he passed away, in the late 1990s. I recall when these came out, it was almost impossible to find even a single specimen with both the Stokesite (the sharp white crystals) and the stannomicrolite (brown crystal) on the same specimen - let alone in close proximity. This is an aesthetic representation of both species, in unusual association. Both crystals are of unusually good size for the find, as well. Ex. Dr. Mark Feinglos Collection.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Schorl, Albite (Var: Cleavelandite) from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20360a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20360a.jpg)
![Albite (Var: Cleavelandite), Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz) from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20365a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20365a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Albite, Quartz from White Queen Mine, Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20369a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20369a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Schorl, Albite from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20371a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20371a.jpg)
![Microcline, Albite, Lepidolite from Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes), Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20376a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20376a.jpg)
![Schorl, Spessartine, Albite from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20385a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20385a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Aquamarine), Albite from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-203950a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-203950a.jpg)
![Tantalite, Albite from Elizabeth R. Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20402a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20402a.jpg)
![Schorl, Quartz, Albite from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-204200a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-204200a.jpg)
![Schorl, Quartz, Albite from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-204200b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-204200b.jpg)
![Kosnarite, Albite from Jenipapo district, Itinga, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20563a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20563a.jpg)
![Spodumene (Var: Kunzite), Quartz, Albite (Var: Cleavelandite) from Nuristan Province (Nurestan; Nooristan), Afghanistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-205682a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-205682a.jpg)
![Tourmaline, Albite (Var: Cleavelandite), Hambergite from Stak Nala, Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20577a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20577a.jpg)
![Tantalite, Albite from Chilas, Diamar District (Diamir District), Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-205940a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-205940a.jpg)
![Tantalite, Albite from Chilas, Diamar District (Diamir District), Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-205940b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-205940b.jpg)
![Spessartine, Albite from Shengus (Shingus), Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206144a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206144a.jpg)
![Spessartine, Albite from Shengus (Shingus), Haramosh Mts., Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206144b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206144b.jpg)
![Stokesite, Stannomicrolite, Albite from Urucum mine (Tim mine; Córrego do Urucum pegmatite), Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206836a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206836a.jpg)
![Stokesite, Stannomicrolite, Albite from Urucum mine (Tim mine; Córrego do Urucum pegmatite), Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206836b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206836b.jpg)