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Mineral Specimens with Calcite
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A glorious stalactitic "flower" of translucent calcite, actually a light cream color in person, with superb luster. This sizeable and gorgeous old Mexican specimen came out of the collection of Marty Zinn. 8.8 x 7.0 x 6.4 cm
This remarkable crystal was very difficult to photograph, and thus is far more beautiful in person. The side faces of the hexagonal crystal (3 cm in height x 2 cm across) are transparent, and the pyramidal termination is frosted, creating a really pleasing contrast. The light cream-colored crystal (more color in person) sits glowing on a matrix covered with water-clear, gemmy little calcites. 7.2 x 4.3 x 4.3 cm
Dioptase beautiful green crystal perched atop a single euhedral crystal of calcite and measures 1.8 cm tip to tip. Near the large dioptase are a half-dozen gemmy little crystals. 4 x 3.2 x 2.0 cm
Lustrous orange mimetites have grown all around this dome-shaped matrix, with little calcite rhombs intergrown amongst them. An aesthetic example of a Santa Eulalia classic! However, I had NEVER seen such elongated, fine, Tsumeb-quality mimetites from Santa Eulalia. This one is just a whol enother level...and it SURELY is this locale, as the white rhomb calcites indicate. 4.3 x 3.2 x 3.0 cm
A vug in the limonite matrix is the host for a layer of rich green, almost velvety, botryoids of conichalcite, to .5 cm across. This is a calcium, copper, arsenate. Secondary growth of colorless, lustrous, translucent, rhombs of calcite, to 2.0 cm across, has nearly filled up the remaining space in the vug. Good combo and super color contrast! 6.5 x 5.5 x 5.4 cm
This specimen features a matrix coated with a beautiful layer of pastel, aquamarine colored, acicular aurichalcite , blanketed with colorless, lustrous calcite crystals, to 1.0 cm across. Classic and rare today, on the market, these are selling at a premium when they do turn up and make for unique locality pieces. 5.3 x 4.6 x 2.9 cm
Once in the noted collection of Rukin Jelks, this superb copper in calcite features several parallel growth, lustrous, transparent calcite crystals to 3.5 cm in length, that have grown over and included copper within them. Although the individual crystals are not as large as some I have seen, they are pretty darned large compared to what one NORMALLY sees for sale, and of much better clarity and pizzazz than the usual as well. The rich, pinkish color, and the degree of transparency , is top tier and nearly unequaled by any copper in calcite specimens I have seen for sale elsewhere. It is complete and displayable on all sides, all around. 4.9 x 4.6 x 4.0 cm
I must say that this is one of the most aesthetic, scalenohedral calcite specimens I have seen from Brushy Creek. A group of intergrown, lustrous, translucent, dark gray, calcite crystals, to 5.0 cm in length, have overgrowths of finely crystallized, IRIDESCENT AND MULTICOLORED, pyrite. On the largest calcite crystal with pyriteovergrowth, a later generation of calcite crystals, in a “rabbit ear” pattern is perched aesthetically. In addition, the largest calcite crystal exhibits a wonderful phantom. This specimen highlights the exquisite taste of Peter Bancroft. This is form older finds. The mine was reopened for specimens in the late 1980s. Until that time, a piece such as this would have been even more rare than now. It is still VERY good, mind you! 12 x 7.7 x 6.5 cm
Iridescent, striated, modified cubes of pyrite, to .8 cm across, are nestled down among flower-like, clusters of snow white, translucent, calcite. The calcite clusters average 1 cm across. BEAUTIFUL and stark combination! This is old material, in a style not found in modern mining here. 10.7 x 7.5 x 3.9 cm
Massive, white, calcite is studded with gemmy, very lustrous, pigeon blood, crystals of corundum var. ruby. The largest ruby crystal is .7 cm across. Recent mining has exposed larger crystals but this is obviously a very old piece, and probably one of the few matrix rubies in the mineral market at the time when Pete bought it! 5 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm
This locality produced, for a short time, some of the most beautiful, yet, rarely seen calcite styles in the world. They were traded around initially only in very small circles, and priced at their weight in platinum. Still are, for that matter. I have not seen a good one for sale since the 1990s, and I have never seen such a nice matrix one for sale, only singles. The specimens with larger crystals gets to be almost orange, and exhibit great translucence and luster. There is almost a silky look to them, that adds a glowing effect to the color. However, it is the incredible crystal morphology that put specimens like this one in the front ranks of calcite specimens. The largest modified scalenohedron measures 3 cm in length. Prisitne save for a few very minor dings on lesser crystals. This is a rare matrix piece, with great color, and I cannot say that I could ever find another so nice for the calcite collectors out there 7.7 x 4.9 x 5.4 cm
A single, twinned, gemmy, lustrous, bright red, crystal of cinnabar, measuring 1.8 cm in length, is perched on gem clear, colorless, quartz crystals to .3 cm in length and white dolomite rhombs to .5 cm across. Oddly, the whole underside of the specimen is covered in translucent, lustrous, tan crystals of calcite to .7 cm across. My gut feeling is that this piece dates back at least to the very early 1980s and was probably one of the very first cinnabars to come out in a trickle that shocked the mineral world. I could see htis being a $10k rock at the time....they were that astonishing! Of cours,e more were mined afterwards and came out in the mid 90s. But now, these large cyclic twins are very rare, and good combo specimens like this more so. They certianly dont "make em like they used to" ! 5.4 x 3.9 x 2.3 cm
The association of emerald-green dioptase on white calcite is one of the combinations that every collector wants to own, and that defines the most idealized and desired mineral specimen from Tsumeb. This is no exception. Several, deep emerald-green, lustrous crystals of dioptase that are translucent with internal highlights cover the sugary, white, calcite matrix. THE DIOPTASE CRYSTALS REACH ABOUT AN INCH IN SIZE! (to 2.5 cm in length) Dioptase crystals that reach 2 cm are extremely rare. Specimens like this, and on matrix no less....incredibly uncommon. There is damage to the back side of the large crystal termination which shows only slightly from the front side on close exam, but this admitted minor defect pales in comparison to the obvious quality and impact of the specimen. It is in good shape overall, considering the size. The crystals stand up so smartly against the matrix of smaller dioptase and calcite, that this IS simply a MAJOR specimen. Without the damage, it would be $50k, showing the premium and raity of such a piece and the value put on it by top collectors (i have seen some over 100k recently, not much better to look at them!). Obviously it was one of the major pieces in this collection, and I got it in part based on Pete room to deal thru getting it in the 1970s instead of at today's prices, but it is still not a cheap specimen nor will it ever be (ding or not). But, it IS a relative bargain, I would say, compared to both what I know to be available today and to the material I have seen for sale the last few years which is generally of steadily declining quality as these recycle into new collections and go up in value as fast as any other investment you could make in minerals today. It is one I would call investment grade, and buy back for cash on the barrelhead at any time. 6.9 x 5.5 x 2 cm
11.7 x 8.5 x 4.5 cm. A classic and important Mexican cabinet combination specimen from the Peter Bancroft Collection. Guanajuato amethyst and calcite specimens have always been very highly desirable. Four lustrous, pearlescent, dogtooth calcite crystals to 2.6 cm aesthetically rim a mounded, 3-dimensional plate covered with glassy, intensely purple, amethyst crystals. This specimen is pristine.
The ruby is 3.0 cm tall. When backlit, it absolutely GLOWS in a case! Rarely do you get such large examples of rubies from Afghanistan and usually they are broken , when you do. A crystal of such size is EXCEEDINGLY rare....and so nicely perched, almost beyond expectation! This lovely corundum var. ruby, perched on white calcite, is lustrous, translucent, with wonderful ”pigeons blood” red color saturation. This has recently proven to be one of the world’s greatest localities for fine specimen rubies. This must have been one of the earliest specimens to trickle out, and was surely prized as such a rar epiece! Even today, for the aesthetics overall and size of the crystal, it remains an oustanding specimen that is not dated at all. 3.9 x 2.9 x 2 cm
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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