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ex. Irv Brown
This specimen features a 1-inch, extremnely bright, glassy, gemmy brazilianite crystal perched perfectly on a very sculptural combination of muscovite and white feldspar. I nperson, the crystal is both brighter and gemmier. You just could not ask for a more aesthetic and showy miniature matrix brazilianite, I think! This is the classic form and style of the old, original brazilianites found in the 1940s, but so FEW of them were on good matrix, and even fewer are now available to today's collectors. Obtained recently in a trade, this is a choice miniature from the Irv Brown collection which he trimmed down from a larger specimen himself. It has not previously been on the market.
This is an excellent combo specimen that well represents the upper end of material from Pakistan, from this classic occurence. Three transparent, lustrous, champagne-colored crystals of topaz to 2.5 cm in length are aesthetically perched on and in snow white, lustrous, bladed albite. There are even a few, terminated, lustrous, beige muscovite crystals, to 2.0 cm across, strategically located on the display side. Very Nice! And, for the price, I think you get a lot of flash and gemminess for the buck!
ex. William Larson
An unusual locality piece from this mine chiefly known for its quartz, and rather small in size. This specimen hosts 3 beryl crystals. The upper one is a gemmy , pale pink morganite, 3 cm across, showing its full window-like hexagonal face to the viewer. A larger, barrel-shaped crystal of 3.5 cm is at the midpoint of the specimen. These both have a pale pink color. The hexagonal crystal smack in the middle is more colorless, and could be called a goshenite. Unusual locality piece.
ex. William Larson
This hillock of albite, stark white and bladed, hosts a 4 x 4 x 3 cm multicolored tourmaline crystal atop. The photos do not do it justice, as they de-emphasize color when we light it without putting it in a case as you would display. It is, in person, fairly gemmy when backlit with even a half decent light. It has the classic purple zoning of some tourmalines from this mine, and excellent lustre. Although there is a crack in one lateral line through part of the tourmaline, it does not go through and the piece is unrepaired, as the albite held it solidly together. Matrix examples of these purple-capped Stewart pieces are uncommon and this is an excellent example particularly for the price range. As I said, it really is more impressive in person. 1200 grams
ex. William Larson
This specimen is a rare LARGE schorl and matrix piece from the mine. As a bonus it has a sharp 1.5 cm Spessartine crystal sitting within the cast of a former , larger crystal, perched on beautiful and marge matrix of albite and schorls. For the matrix, itself, this is a classic specimen and you rarely see such in large size. Most larger pieces from here are quite broken up. This is an old piece from Louis Spaulding, the mine owner. Stabilized with a little glue injected into a seam in back , but not repaired. In person, it is much more dramatic and really an immediately recognizable locality piece with impact in person
ex. William Larson
An unusual goshenite specimen from this briefly-mined claim, now sadly exhausted (at least for practical purposes, and without a lot of dynamite). The CG produced a huge variety of gem crystals in its brief lifetime in the late 90s and early 2000s, among them this fine miniature from the "goshenite pocket" . A stoudt single crystal is accented by schorl tourmalines here. Unusual!
ex. William Larson
A VERY fine locality specimen of schorl, with albite, from the Elizabeth R, obtained from mine owner Roland Reed. 220 grams
ex. William Larson
A dramatic large, unrepaired specimen of fat schorl crystals accented with gemmy quartz and stark white albite blades. It is complete all around save for an unusual contact spot on the lefthand side (shown forward in 2nd photo). This would be considered exceptional for the locality and a great schorl by any standard from a US locale.
ex. William Larson
This is a stunning, unusually large crystal of spessartine for the locality which is miraculously NOT etched all to heck like so many are. It sits on a pedestal of cleavelandite matrix, and is exceptional for its display quality. The crystal is complete all around, though shows a contact on the back where it grew in the pocket against a schorl that left an impression. The crystal, at 1 inch, is as large as all but the few biggest specimens from here evre reached and is remarkable for its pristine form. Most large garnets fro mthis mine were etched in situ and turn into spongy but sparkly masses that are absolutely gorgeous, but retain few of the natural garnet crystal faces the crystal started with. To get a crystal surviving in this condition, so sharp and lustrous, and completely unetched at all, is almost unheard of. If this were on a bigger matrix, it would be treble the price. As is, it is a fine miniature worthy of competition in any collection showcasing US classics or garnet. Within the San Diego collecting community, owning a garnet of this calibre is one of the highlights of any collection. Few can be had, though> This one, Bill Larson obtained in the early 1980s from mine owner Louis Spalding Sr.'s collection.
This crystal has DEEP blue color, really in a class above the normal Pakistani aquas and characteristic of the rarer Nepalese aquas when found. Lustre is extremely good, like glass, and the piece is better in person! It is also doubly-terminated, although one end is tapered and makes a more natural upper end (shown) than the other. The bottom termination, shown below, is complete although rough from regrowth in the pocket.
ex. Irv Brown
A really remarkable speicmen! Most rose quartzes from this locality are pale, elongated crystals of quite different habit than we see from tacqueral and other localities. This is no exception - it is a pale pastel pink hue and strangely elongated. Its just on steroids! It is also doubly-terminated! The aesthetics are very nice, as it is perched smartly on a very nicely balanced rhombic shard of feldspar. I think this is among the more significant (for crystal quality and size) of rose quartz specimens, if not among the most expensive or the most pink
ex. Dr. Mark Feinglos Collection 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 xls) 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, on a well trimmed matrix of bladed albite so it displays nicely. Both crystals are of unusually good size for the find, as well.
ex. Richard Hauck
An unusual locality piece from this small tourmaline mine, featuring a 7-cm doubly-terminated quartz in a cluster of others, all perched dramatically on a knob of albite crystals. The quartz is GEM, clear and crisp, accented by a sparkling coating of minute secondary crystallization on top of some side faces. the overall effect is really striking. Sold to Hauck by Russ Behnke, for $500 in 1975...it was a premium Brazilian piece then, and I think remains so!
A very attractive matrix Pederneira specimen, with a classic 5-cm multicolored tourmaline jutting out from behind a gemmy, doubly-terminated quartz crystal. It can be displayed either horizontally or with the crystal vertical (not shown but you get the idea) . Other quartz crystals and platy albites decorate the lepidolite matrix. There is one clean repair on the tourmaline behind the quartz, where it cannot be seen anyhow; but of course, nearly ALL Pederneira pieces have at least one repair – most, more than that – so it is not considered a detraction. Overall, this is a tremendously aesthetic specimen for the size and price range, which I was surprised to be able to buy and sell for under $2000.
ex. Robert Nowakowski
This is one of the most beautiful, rich, and striking of the more recent Brazilianite finds from the late 1990s (as opposed to older material found in the 1940s at another locale); and it features several very significant crystals of 6 and 7 cm in size. It is extremely colorful, bright, and lustrous. The color is particularly intense for this find, where many were more yellowy-green than green-yellow, and where many lacked good lustre. The display face is pristine, and those crystals have wonderful chisel-shaped, 3-dimensional terminations. Although many brazilianites have been found here, in numerous finds over recent years, large plates in such good quality are still uncommonly seen. Truly fine examples from the find have escalated in value and increased in rarity on the market. Comes with custom base.
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