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ex. Marilyn Dodge
Whether you consider this a true pseudomorph or a hollow cast, either way you shake it this is an outrageously good specimen. The botryoidal Goethite has superb luster and just the color and texture that you would want. The few places that there are dings actually enhance the specimen because they provide small windows into the multi-layering of the Goethite. Seldom do you see these so sharply formed and well-preserved! Usuaully they are much thinner, more fragile casts with many holes in them.
ex. Marilyn Dodge
Beautiful cluster of Chrysocolla blades that is outstanding for its color and its architecture. It is equally amazing that something so seemingly fragile has only suffered the most minimal of damage in only one tiny spot near the base. Nearly pristine, and as aesthetic as can be, this is a killer. These form as replacements after selenite and were generally found 30-40 years ago, by and large.
Few Selenites that have come out of Canada in recent years have the aesthetics of this lovely twinned crystal perched on a ball of smaller Selenites. The crystal has a beautiful silky luster and some of the side faces provide clear windows into the transparent crystal. One of the better Canadian Selenites that you will see...pristine except for the very bottom of the sphere that the twin sits on (understandably used as the display base anyhow).
ex. Chuck Houser
A truly bizarre specimen featuring a todorokite crystal, crude and ugly though it is, perched on matrix. Extremely rare and unusual! This crystal may be a replacement of a previous mineral, but we do not know of what.Self collected by Chuck on a grading project in Penasquitos in the late 80's
A stunning selenite, and with incredibly sharp and water-clear, GEMMY crystals, from this important new Chinese locality. MUCH BETTER IN PERSON! Trust me, it may not cost a fortune but this is one of the best darn selenite specimens I have ever seen, to hold its own with other species.
ex. Marilyn Dodge
Delicate and very attractive pseudomorph in which the Gypsum is perfectly replaced by the Goethite. Each sharp blade shimmers with a green or red iridescence that gives this excellent thumb a beauty all its own.
ex. Ernie Schlichter
Perched on a bed of tiny gypsum crystals, which in turn is on a matrix of massive gypsum, are three transparent spears of Selenite to almost 4 cm. This cluster is extremely aesthetic. These were once available in the early 90s in some quantity but i have seen few in recent years and am told that the quarry has not produced them in almost a decade. OK, so it is "only selenite" to some folks but , species interest level aside, its just aesthetic as all getout and some of the prettiest, sparkliest mineral specimens on the planet
A magnificent large single crystal of selenite measuring in at 20 x 7 cm, and about 2.7 cm thick. It is in miraculously good shape for such a large, clean, exposed crystal! Common mineral, yes, but NOT in such quality and size and gemminess! This thing is so clean and clear you can read right through it, though it is an inch thick; and see right through it to the matrix underneath. This is a selenite of very high calibre worthy of any fine collection, and I do not say that phrase often!
Gypsum certainly is not a rare species, but facetted gems are definitely hard to find. The incredible softness and perfect cleavage of the mineral makes for some very difficult cutting, and only highly skilled gem cutters can facet a stone like this one. This Octagon cut gem has only very slight inclusions, and is essentially colorless. It is a very impressive stone for the size considering that very few are ever available over a few carats.
ex. Richard Heck
A drusy crust of gypsum, tan on the outside and white in the center, is the natural pedestal for two glassy and gemmy, colorless spearheads of gypsum, to 5.5 cm in length. The larger crystal is also doubly terminated. The aesthetics of the piece are really outstanding, and it is not "just another gypsum " !
ex. Richard Heck
Scattered on the sharp white quartz points here, radiating out, are lustrous and translucent, honey colored, fishtail twins of gypsum, to 3 cm in length. A few of the gypsum crystals are also doubly terminated. The quartz fluoresces a rich purple color. Lovely combo piece!
ex. Richard Heck
On a contrasting matrix are tabular, glassy and gemmy, colorless gypsum crystals to 4 cm in length. Most of the gypsum crystals are also doubly terminated. A superb piece, with balance and poise unusual for this material
ex. Richard Heck
A large , lustrous and translucent, light pink, 9 cm-long danburite crystal is nearly covered by scalenohedrons of lustrous and translucent, yyellow-amber-colored calcite crystals to 2.6 cm in length. There are even a few crystals of glassy and gemmy gypsum to 1.5 cm across. The calcite crystals fluoresce a rich orangey purple color. Overall, a very unusual and dramatic combination piece!
ex. Richard Heck
A superb, doubly terminated, tabular, crystal that measures 9.8 cm across, this is glassy and gemmy. The colorless gypsum is elegantly arranged on a matrix of drusy , sparkling calcite as if on a pedestal - you could not ask for more perfect placement. Despite its softness this piece is nearly pristine, with only the most trivial wear. The totally clear and limpid gypsum crystal is offset even more under fluorescence whre the calcite is imparted with a brown hue and the gypsum transmits the UV light. Simply wonderful!
ex. Richard Heck
Scattered about in a jackstraw arrangement on a limonite matrix are several exceptionally glassy and gemmy, colorless crystals of gypsum to 7.7 cm in length. The two largest crystals are doubly terminated and both exhibit large phantoms at their centers that are beautiful, multi-colored gardens. A really nicer-than-most-such kind of specimen!
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