![]() |
|
ex. Carl Bosch ex. Dr. Gary Hansen ex. Smithsonian Institution
This is quite simply my intellectual favorite of the collection, bar none. You will NEVER SEE one of these again, I'd bet, outside of a book on historic minerals of Cornwall (and even then, I don't think there was a photo in THE History of Cornwall Minerals book, was there?!). I had never seen one, outside of browsing a copy of Sowerby's Exotic Mineralogy! They were found rarely in the late 1700s or early 1800s; and nobody I have spoken to knows of another piece of any significance to hit the market in decades. Moreover, aside from the significance of its mere existence and availability for sale, it is as dramatic as a grey-colored mineral can be, with sparkly crystals rising dramatically to 3 cm in height! I have privately shown the specimen to several European experts who have confirmed that it is as rare and desirable as I say, and that it is indeed English and not French or German. Note also that it was an early specimen in the collection of Carl Bosch, who was noted for his superb suites of old classics. The back of the old label seems to indicate whom he purchased it from. It belongs in a museum and I would prefer to place it to go to one.
ex. Carl Bosch ex. Dr. Gary Hansen ex. Smithsonian Institution
This is an outstanding and IMPORTANT example of this classic replacement and should be considered one of the most important pieces in the collection. It has good aesthetics and no damage, excellent pedigree, and unusually large crystals to 3 cm, which place it among the best such specimens to be available on the market. Many such specimens are only partially replaced but this one shows complete replacement!
ex. Dr. Gary Hansen
This is an outstanding and IMPORTANT example of this classic replacement and should be considered one of the most important pieces in the collection. It has good aesthetics and no damage, excellent pedigree, and unusually large crystals to 2 cm, which place it among the best such specimens to be available on the market. Many such specimens are only partially replaced but this one shows complete replacement! ON TOP OF THAT, it shows a rare secondary growth of pyromorphite AFTER the replacement - I have never seen this before!
ex. Richard Heck
A brilliant cabinet-sized plate of twinned galenas, that look in quality like more modern material from Bulgaria with a brightness you seldom see in this older, Mexican find. Emplaced on a matrix of calcite holding together intergrown sphalerite are many upright galena crystals, to 3 cm across. Most of these galena crystals are also elongated spinel twins. The druse of white calcite provides marked contrast. Very striking and rare in such size, as a display specimen!
ex. Richard Heck
A matrix of drusy pyrite and galena is nearly covered by frosted octahedrons of lustrous and translucent, pastel green fluorite, to 2.5 cm across. In person this is a very 3-dimensional and sparkly piece
ex. Richard Heck
Flowerlike, calenohedral, lustrous and translucent white calcite crystals to 2 cm in length are perched on top of a knob of brilliant and classic galena crystals for this locality. The contrast of color and texture is superb. Pristine!
ex. Richard Heck
An exceptional piece for the locality, where you do not get many good, isolated twinned galenas amidst thousands of normal galena specimens we have seen over the years - This composite crystal of spinel-twinned, lustrous galena also appears to be a complete floater with no visible points of attachment. It is a superb miniature galena, from any locale, although particularly noteworthy for this one
ex. Richard Heck
Two, sharp and unusually isolated, pastel green fluorite crystals to 3.75 cm across are aestheically perced high on a galena and pyrite matrix. The fluorites fluoresce a medium lavender color. Interestingly, the pyrites are weird bladed habits…and surely they are pseudomorph replacements of earlier pyrrhotite but now with the pyrite composition, and sparkle and coloration to boot. This is a flashy piece in person, with sparkle off of all three species present.
ex. Richard Heck
RARE for the locale, this vuggy matrix of lustrous, battleship gray galena hosts striated, darker gray crystals of bournonite, to 8 mm across. I cannot recall seeing but 2 or 3 Naica bournonites before. The matrix is also filled with glassy and gemmy, colorless fluorite cubes to 3.2 cm across - thus proving the piece is from Naica by its style or I would have thought the bournonite was from elsewhere. The fluorite exhibits a faint green fluorescence. Aesthetic , and displaying the rare association, this is a combo piece that is worth more than the sum of its parts!
ex. Richard Heck
Like a flower perched aesthetically on a matrix of drusy, splendent, galena, is a cluster of lustrous and translucent, milky white calcite. The cluster measures 4.5 cm across. The calcite fluoresces a spectacular, bright orange color (due to minor manganese). Neat association specimen with great aesthetics!
ex. Richard Heck
NOT FROM MODERN FINDS - which are quite different to my eye: This is a classic Naica combo, with super aesthetics! This piece features a sharp cluster of water-clear, glassy and gemmy, pastel-green fluorite cubes. Both form and the lustre makes it distinct from modern finds. They reach to 3.5 cm across and are aesthetically perched on intergrown, lustrous, crystals of galena to 1 cm across. The underside of the specimen has modified cubes of apple green fluorite poking through the galena crust, which have imparted their color to the larger crystals on the display side (otherwise colorless). This is a superb combo specimen and the almost invisible fluorites look very similar to the famous ones from Dal'negorsk, Russia. It is much better in person, and features the complex "stairstep" fluorite formations that made Naica famous. The quality , and the clarity, and the style are all rarely seen in this older material in such condition. It is a top of the line, display sized specimen. In person, it has a green color hard to get in the photos without photoshopping them
ex. Richard Heck
Drusy,splendent, brassy yellow pyrite and intergrown, lustrous galena crystals to 6 mm across host several frosted, lustrous and translucent, apple green fluorite crystals to 3 cm acrosss. Small faces on the fluorite crystals are unfrosted and gemmy, which allow the viewer a look into their internal world and creates contrast within the crystal faces.
ex. Richard Heck
Emplaced on massive sulfides are splendent, brassy yellow crystals of chalcopyrite to 2 cm in length along with drusy clusters of lustrous, white quartz. Additionally, there are a few crystals, to 1 cm across, of lustrous, battleship gray, galena. VERY bright and shrp, this is a beautiful specimen.
ex. Richard Heck
An outstanding galena specimen from this very classic locale, where galena was common but specimens such as this level, were never common. Large, well formed, cubeoctahedrons of galena, to 4 cm across , are associated with scalenohedrons of lustrous and translucent, milky white crystals of calcite to 1.8 cm in length. The calcite fluoresces a brilliant, rich orange color. We have had galenas of such size and style before, but the settign against white, crystallized calcite matrix is just much more special! Super combo specimen!
ex. Richard Heck
Beautifully perched on a cluster of intergrown, lustrous, battleship-gray crystals of galena, are two amazing, almost invisible, glassy and gemmy, pastel-green fluorite crystals. The larger is 5.25 cm in length and both are absolutely stunning for their clarity and sharpness, with almost no edge wear (just a few very minor rubs). Ensconced within and goign through the galena is a single deeper green modified octohedral fluorite crystal , that imparts the color to what otherwise would be the totally colorless cubes . In fact, the galena is in the shape of a cast, having formed over something else yet. Under fluorescent light the fluorite exudes a rich purple color. Interestingly, a layer of calcite resides between the fluorite and galena and it glows a lovely light brown when under lfluorescence . This is an outstanding Naica fluorite of highly unusual aspect for its large, sharp, clean cubic form at a locale where most such crystals are heavily modified. Also, they are unusually large and glassy for this locality. It is a remarkable specimen, overall - very much mnore impressive in person
All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The ArkenstonePowered by http://mineralwebsites.comMineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||