A rich slab of matrix rock hosting veins of brilliant gold that has replaced rich calaverite which was there previously. VERY RARE material, and one of the few I have ever seen for sale.

A rare Chinese gold specimen, quite rich with crudely crystalline gold AND leaf gold in veins running through the quartz. It is very hefty and rich, at 48 grams or so (about an ounce and a third)

A rare Western Australia CRYSTALLIZED gold, massing 780 grams! This remarkable crystallized nugget shows none of the signs of alluvial tumbling which characterise your standard Aussie nugget. CRYSTALS shoot out, all over it, giving a very interesting horizon in the shape of an "eagle," as its nickname suggests. This does not have the lustre of California material, but for Aussie it is insanely rare, big, and fine. The color is bright and indicative of a high purity! This piece is 5 inches across and is complete 360 degrees, all around and on both sides. It belonged to Hubert De Monmonier (1919-2007), and was donated by bequest to the University of Arizona Museum to add to their displays and to provide specimens for sale to establish an endowment fund for museum operations, in perpetuity. This was, to my mind, the best specimen they let go in the recent sale. It is rumoured to be the largest crystallized gold from South America and, to my admittedly limited knowledge, this is indeed the case.Joe Budd Photos

At 900 grams, this is an astonishing, dense, solid gold specimen in the shape of a ring, or halo. The entire thing is composed of minutely crystallized gold, with sparkly faces and points all over it when seen with a loupe. It is not "just" a nugget. It has long been known, among the relatively few dealers who knew the reclusive previous owner, as one of the best pieces in a collection built between the 1950s and around 2000. It belonged to Hubert De Monmonier (1919-2007), and was donated by bequest to the University of Arizona Museum to add to their displays and to provide specimens for sale to establish an endowment fund for museum operations, in perpetuity. This was, to my mind, one of the top two or three specimens they let go in the recent deacquisition sale. It is rumoured to be the largest crystallized gold from South America and, to my admittedly limited knowledge, this is indeed the case.Joe Budd Photos