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4.9 x 4.6 x 3.5 cm. Apatite is a seldom available mineral species from the Little Three Mine of San Diego County. A 3.5 cm wide, gray to lavender, tabular apatite crystal is attractively attached to the base or side of mounded knob of lustrous, translucent, smoky quartz crystals. Gemmy, pencil tourmalines are scattered about and one side has a rich coating of pink lepidolite microcrystals. Excellent locality material from the Chuck Houser Collection.
A tall, elegant, undamaged and finely-terminated green tourmaline, with good gemminess, rising from a cluster of smaller tourmalines (also well terminated), with a bit of GEMMY lepidolite adding a pretty accent at the bottom. NO REPAIRS! To get a pristine tourmaline of this size and quality, with no repairs, is quite remarkable! 9 x 2.8 x 3 cm
7.8 x 5.7 x 4.4 cm. This is a massive specimen of lepidolite, sparkly and lavender-colored, in which are embedded pastel red crystal sprays of rubellite tourmaline. Famous carving and lapidary material, this was once common in San Diego and is now hard to obtain in this quality and richness. Ex. Harold Urish Collection.
9.7 x 5.5 x 3.8 cm. A very aesthetic, unusual specimen from this famous mine which had a great run in the years 1999-2006 or so, and has largely gone defunct since then (they blasted out the pegmatite on 3 sides). The matrix feldspar crystal is complete. It is terminated on both ends, the back, and the front where you see that gentle slope down decorated with sparkling purple lepidolite. Off the front-sloping face of the feldspar, hangs a 3.7 cm tall blue indicolite tourmaline. Although it has a hairline crack near its base, it is not repaired (the matrix held it together quite well).
3.7 x 2.7 x 1.6 cm. A very old, very sharp morganite crystal that makes for a fine small miniature. It is unusually gemmy and well-formed, for this locality, complete save s bit of damage at the top-right-rear of the termination. A small hint of purple lepidolite included in the base narrows the mine origin to the Pala region, corresponding with the old labels stating "Pala" as locality. Bill then narrowed it down to King Mine. This was in the Scott Williams collection by 1958. Weighs 26 grams. Ex. William Larson Collection.
6 x 6 x 6 cm. It is actually quite difficult to get really top quality lepidolite in this richness from the mine today, but once it was very famous for beautiful lavender lepidolite, often shot through with embedded pink tourmalines. This 6 cm sphere is a very uniform and rich color, of highest grade carving rough from the mine. The associated piece of polished rough shows how the rough looked when it started. Ex. William Larson Collection.
9.7 x 8.7 x 8.5 cm. Morganite from this mine is, typically, admixed with aquamarine and of pale color. This is an unusual specimen with barrel-shaped hexagonal crystals, extremely gemmy and clean inside, to 3.5 cm. The horizontal crystal, 3.5-cm across, is complete and doubly-terminated. The slightly fatter crystal, approximately 3 x 3 x 3 cm in size, has a shallow, conchoidal, curving break on its upper edge of the termination. Ex. William Larson Collection.
17.0 x 13.8 x 4.4 cm. An unusual locality piece from this mine chiefly known for its quartz, and rather small in size. This specimen hosts 3 beryl crystals. The upper one is a gemmy, pale pink morganite, 3 cm across, showing its full window-like hexagonal face to the viewer. A larger, barrel-shaped crystal of 3.5 cm is at the midpoint of the specimen. These both have a pale pink color. The hexagonal crystal smack in the middle is more colorless, and could be called a goshenite. Unusual locality piece. Ex. William Larson Collection.
5.2 x 2.1 x 1.6 cm. An excellent, bi-colored, gem crystal of tourmaline from Darra-i-Pech. It is pink, grading to a light grass green, then to pink again at the terminations. The multi-peaked termination is very lustrous. The crystal is complete and uncontacted all the way around. Unusual for these, one side is partially wrapped in off-white lepidolite, which is a nice accent. Weighs 24 grams.
8.4 x 3.4 x 2.4 cm. A striking, very fine tourmaline from recent finds at the Pederneira Mine. This very gemmy and lustrous, doubly terminated, tapered crystal is dramatically accented with large, pearlescent cleavelandite plates and beautifully and richly dusted with contrasting, purple lepidolite crystals. Nearly pristine. The upper, thick half of this rich, green crystal has a cranberry-red core, making this a watermelon tourmaline.
7.8 x 6.0 x 5.0 cm. A striking, gemmy, partially frosted, etched, ice-blue topaz crystal beautifully accented with yellow-green lepidolite crystals from the small recent re-workings and finds at Virgem da Lapa, Brazil. The sides of the classic, chisel termination have icicle-like points sticking out, some with lepidolite on them. Topaz of this quality from Virgem da Lapa is found very infrequently over the last 40 years. Weighs 252 grams.
A very gemmy and lustrous 8 mm water-clear topaz crystals aesthetically set in bundles of columnar lepidolite crystals from the famous Virgem da Lapa area of Brazil. This is THE classic Brazilian topaz find of all time and although the piece is small, it sure is cute! Plus, it features REALLY good lepidolite crystals as a bonus. Old dealer stock of Dr. Gary Hansen and not shown since the early 1980s! 3.0 x 2.9 x 2.5 cm
12.8 x 2.9 x 2.8 cm. The Golconda Mine of Brazil has produced a stunning array of tourmalines in widely different colors and crystal forms. This striking cabinet crystal is certainly different from most tourmalines you will see. The lustrous, translucent, well-striated, polychrome tourmaline is doubly terminated and one side has a preferential sheath of yellowish-tan lepidolite. Most of the tapered crystal is sea-green with zones of pleasing cranberry-red, especially at the pyramidal termination. This termination also has a highly unusual, planar extension of tourmaline. The thicker, lustrous, pinacoidal termination is a gorgeous, bluish-purple. Older material dating to the 1960s or 1970s. Weighs 132 grams. Ex. George Elling Collection.
10.2 x 9.2 x 4.8 cm. This is a bizarre specimen. It is a nearly (95%) complete replacement by sparkling lepidolite of a tourmaline, a giant tourmaline section, at that. It weighs about 660 grams. Big, strange, and pretty, if not particularly elegant I admit. I have seen such in small crystals from the County, but nothing this size before. Ex. William Larson Collection.
4.3 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm. One of the finest lepidolite crystals Bill or I have seen from this mine perched on a tourmaline crystal section. The lepidolite is about 1 inch and is shockingly purple, completely translucent, and is pristine. It is a very esoteric but interesting specimen, better in person. When you shine light through the whole piece, from behind the tourmaline, you get a glowing purple on glowing red-pink combination. Ex. William Larson Collection.
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share specimen![Apatite-(CaF), Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz), Elbaite, Lepidolite from Little Three Mine (Little 3), Ramona District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-246456a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-246456a.jpg)
![Tourmaline, Lepidolite from Golconda pegmatite, Governador Valadares, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-24750a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-24750a.jpg)
![Tourmaline (Var: Rubellite), Lepidolite from Stewart Mine (MS 6162; Stewart Lithia), Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-247876a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-247876a.jpg)
![Tourmaline (Var: Indicolite), Lepidolite, Feldspar Group from Pederneira claim, São José da Safira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-248017a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-248017a.jpg)
![Tourmaline (Var: Indicolite), Lepidolite, Feldspar Group from Pederneira claim, São José da Safira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-248017b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-248017b.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Lepidolite from Tourmaline King Mine (MS 4500; MS 4926; Gem), Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249609a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249609a.jpg)
![Lepidolite from Stewart Mine (MS 6162; Stewart Lithia), Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249621a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249621a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Quartz, Lepidolite from Elizabeth R. Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249626a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249626a.jpg)
![Beryl (Var: Morganite), Albite, Lepidolite from Katerina Mine (Katrina; Catherin; Caterina), Hiriart Mountain (Heriart; Heriot; Hiriat Hill), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-249628a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-249628a.jpg)
![Elbaite, Lepidolite from Darra-i-Pech (Pech; Peech; Darra-e-Pech) Pegmatite Field, Nangarhar (Ningarhar) Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-251188a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-251188a.jpg)
![Elbaite, Lepidolite from Darra-i-Pech (Pech; Peech; Darra-e-Pech) Pegmatite Field, Nangarhar (Ningarhar) Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-251188b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-251188b.jpg)
![Elbaite, Albite (Var: Cleavelandite), Lepidolite from Pederneira claim, São José da Safira, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-253998a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-253998a.jpg)
![Topaz, Lepidolite from Virgem da Lapa, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-255003a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-255003a.jpg)
![Topaz, Lepidolite from Virgem da Lapa, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-25819a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-25819a.jpg)
![Elbaite, Lepidolite from Golconda pegmatite, Governador Valadares, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-258314a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-258314a.jpg)
![Elbaite, Lepidolite from Golconda pegmatite, Governador Valadares, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-258314b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-258314b.jpg)
![Lepidolite, Tourmaline from Elizabeth R. Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-259677a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-259677a.jpg)
![Lepidolite, Elbaite from Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes), Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-259785a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-259785a.jpg)
![Lepidolite, Elbaite from Himalaya Mine (Himalaya pegmatite; Himalaya dikes), Gem Hill, Mesa Grande District, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-259785b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-259785b.jpg)