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7.2 x 6.8 x 5.4 cm. Calcite specimens from the famed and historic Bigrigg Mine of Cumbria are always much sought after. The pretty, complete-all-around and pristine knob of glassy and translucent, intergrown rhombs has beautiful inclusions of color-zoned hematite. The knob is artfully set on the calcite-rich matrix. Calcite rhombs are rarely seen from this noted locale, as one usually sees scalenohedrons. Old-time material, probably dating to around 1900 or earlier, but no proof.
14.8 x 9.2 x 6.3 cm. A fine and strange looking cabinet combination specimen from a new find at the San Antonio Mine at Santa Eulalia. Sharp, pretty lavender fluorite cubes to 2.5 cm are nestled amongst very strange looking, etched/melted, karstic-looking calcite formations. The large calcite looks like a castle with towers on the top. Two generations of calcite are present: lower, massive, translucent, whitish calcite; and capped by sharp, tan to colorless calcite scalenohedrons. The fluorites and calcite rest on a matrix plate covered by sharp, colorless quartz needles. Unusually, the massive calcite fluoresces vivid orange-pink, while the crystallized calcite does not fluoresce.
5.4 x 3.0 x 2.3 cm. This is a fine specimen consisting of superb, sharp, gemmy, highly lustrous, prismatic, purple color crystals of Amethyst measuring up to 2.2 cm sitting atop white/colorless, modified rhombohedra of Calcite with underlain green "Chlorite" on matrix. This piece is remarkable for Bolivia as the quality of the crystals is as fine as I have seen for Amethyst from any Bolivian locality.
5.7 x 4.8 x 3.0 cm. A classic, old-time and beautiful, twinned calcite crystal from the Joplin Field of Missouri. This sharp, pristine, lustrous, translucent, light amber crystal is twinned at 127 degrees 30 minutes. Tri-State twinned calcites of this quality are very uncommon and this is a fine one. Ex. George Feist Collection #2464 and comes with an old A.E. Foote label, which dates from 1880-1895.
7.1 x 5.3 x 2.8 cm. This traprock locality is one of the most impressive Zeolite localities in the world. This quarry has produced some amazing specimens in the last 100 years. This particular specimen is an attractive piece consisting of gemmy, beautiful, lustrous apple-green spheres of Prehnite with minor Calcite rhombohedra on the reverse side of the piece. The largest Prehnite "sphere" measures 1.7 cm across. A very attractive specimen of this classic material. It must be noted that Prospect Park will never produce these specimens again in a very short period of time. The quarry is currently being backfilled to make room for housing developments, and will soon be nothing more than a memory. Ex. Brian Kosnar Collection.
6.7 x 5.2 x 5.1 cm. These are some of the most recognizable Manganoan Calcite specimens in the world. This particular piece features several aesthetic, "feathery" pink scalenohedral crystals of Manganoan Calcite associated with minor black Tetrahedrite and Quartz. These Calcites have a truly unique look to them. These pieces are no longer being mined, and are now some of the great "classics" from Peru.
7.7 x 6.0 x 4.8 cm. These new Calcites from Xianghualing are certainly some of the most attractive and colorful from China. Dozens of sharp, lustrous, gemmy, pale yellow, compressed rhombohedral Calcite crystals form "pagoda"-like or "nail head" shaped groups (second generation) have overgrown vibrant salmon-orange color scaleonhedral crystals (first generation). The final touch to these crystals is that they are included with tiny crystals of golden Pyrite, which obviously was deposited at the same time as the second generation of Calcite crystals, as it is completely suspended inside the rhombs.
6.2 x 3.7 x 3.1 cm. This complex alumosilicate is one of the more obscure members of the Cancrinite group, especially in fine quality specimens. Typcially, Afghanite crystals, no matter how saturated the color may be, are opaque. This specimen hosts a rarely seen, very gemmy, and rather sharp, euhedral crystal of Afghanite of a lovely Sapphire blue color jutting out of a massive golden-white Calcite matrix. The termination is completely damage free and there is only one small rub at the base of the crystal. The crystal is about as sharp as I have seen for the species, and the obvious gemminess makes it an impactful and impressive example of this beautiful species. Ex. Brian Kosnar Collection.
4.8 x 4.8 x 3.4 cm. A fine, very rich nest of bright, beautifully burnished spinel-twinned and hackly silver crystals from the famous finds at Batopilas in the late 1960s. This excellent piece shows well from all sides and the white calcite and matrix are nice accents. This is a very thick specimen from Batopilas, as most specimens were etched from thin calcite veins. Ex. Jaime Bird Collection. Weighs 77 grams.
4.8 x 4.3 x 3.7 cm. The Mina Ojuela has produced a new find of this beautiful and striking combination material. Two glassy, transparent calcite rhombs to 2.0 cm across are aesthetically set in a sculpural vug in starkly contrasting, sturdy, gossan matrix. The vug is lined with beautiful, robin’s-egg blue aurichalcite needles. The calcite rhombs are included with aurichalcite and have grown around aurichalcite needles, which really adds to the attractiveness of this fine piece. A stunning new find.
8.5 x 5.9 x 4.5 cm. An unusual, fine combination specimen from the famous mines at Zacatecas, Mexico and the Gene Meieran Collection. Some of the faces of the brilliant, steel-gray galena crystals are strangely melted and etched, especially the galena surrounded by the complimentary, sparkly calcite crystals. Fine combination material from this renowned locale.
13.7 x 11.7 x 6.6 cm. A beautiful and impressive, cabinet calcite on calcite specimen from the very famous Verchniy Mine at Dal’negorsk. Large, highly lustrous, translucent, stepped-growth face, tan calcite rhombs form this very aesthetic specimen. The rhombs reach 7.5 cm and are dramatically peppered with snow-white spheres of secondary calcite. Classic, pristine material from this noted locale. Ex. Daniel Trinchillo Sr. Collection. This specimen is illustrated on Page 20 of the catalogue for the Heritage Natural History Auction in Dallas, Texas in January, 2009, which featured many pieces from the Trinchillo Collection.
9.4 x 5.2 x 2.9 cm. This find was made a couple of years back in China (2007), and is absolutely unique: glittery, golden pyrite microcrystals on the edges of large (to 5.0 cm across on this piece) flattened rhombs of lustrous, translucent calcite. Some of the specimens had very sparse coverage of pyrite, just a salting, but here, it is richly carpeting the crystal edges.
8.7 x 8.0 x 4.2 cm. A large vug in sturdy, sculptural, gossan matrix is filled with pretty green, primary malachite micro-needles. A fine accent to this old-time specimen are the lustrous calcite rhombs. The large, 1.2 cm, colorless rhomb is un-tinted, but the rest of the rhombs are included with highly desirable malachite. Ex. Dennis Mullane Bisbee Collection.
6.4 x 4.9 x 3.2 cm. Seldom do you see Bisbee combination specimens with this striking, sculptural quality and rarity. The matrix is a folded sheet of solid copper. Pretty green primary malachite microcrystals richly cover all sides of the copper matrix, including the striking, free-standing copper spinel-twins. The large spinel is 2.2 cm. And a fine bonus are the "nests" of tiny calcite crystals, that look like eggs. This is a fabulous, old-time Bisbee combination specimen from the Dennis Mullane Bisbee Collection.
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