Mineral Specimens with Olmiite

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OLM-00 - OLMIITE - SOLD
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
small cabinet, 9.0 x 7 x 6 cm

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This was the ONLY wild new find of totally unprecedented display-quality specimens in any quantity i know of, for the show. I got my lot early while it was still fresh out of the pocket, and from an African friend who cherrypicked the best, so far as we know. The best of this find, and this is such a specimen, well these BLOW AWAY COMPLETELY any previous specimens from the 2002-2003 find for sheer size combined with intense color and super-sparkly lustre. This is thebiggest complete, undamaged crystal cluster I am aware of , and again it is not only highly significant for the species, but also just plain pretty as a mineral specimen on the shelf. You gotta see it to believe it. Who cares if "poldervaartite" or "olmiite". They are simply GORGEOUS AND SPARKLY AND RED.

OLM-01 - OLMIITE - $ 3500
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 4.6 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm

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A glistening, sugary, wet-looking, translucent ball of crystals, of the best colored olmiite you can ask for from the find. This 3-dimensional spherical agrgegate of gemmy crystals is FAR BEYOND the norm in quality. In person, the difference is more obvious - as indicated by the price. The size of this spherical cluster is also quite large for the find - few of this size were found without damage or breaks. This one is complete save for a small contact in the upper-right edge, facing to the side and rear. It is 3.75 cm across, perched dramatically on a small pedestal of manganese ore matrix.

OLM-02 - OLMIITE - $ 7500
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 3.9 x 3.8 x 3.7 cm

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OLMIITE from N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa [db_pics/pics/olm-02a.jpg]

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OLMIITE from N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa [db_pics/pics/olm-02b.jpg]

At 4 cm, this is one of the largest, complete spherical aggregates of olmiite found, in good condition. It is pristine and complete ALL around, and has the best sparkling glassy lustre, and nearly top color. This is a signifiant piece for a rare species, but more than that it is a beautiful mineral specimen, a 4-cm floater ball of color, that is just amazing to see in person. I understand that very few of this quality AND completeness were found, from my sources. Such pieces are thus valued highly to those who desire absolute perfection and geometry in the specimen.

OLM-03 - OLMIITE - $ 9000
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
small cabinet, 8.8 x 6.6 x 6.5 cm

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I obtained, through a friend and a lot of trust, over 100 specimens in the first picks of this pocket, while it was still fresh in South Africa. We are fairly familiar with what came out, and how my top specimens rank in the context of the pocket as a whole. It is safe to say that only a handful, perhaps 4-5 specimens, had spherical clusters of this size and quality. This ball of olmiite is 6.5 x 6 x 6 cm in size - through the roof for the species and the find! The cluster is 3-dimensional and complete all around except for some VERY minor bruising or growth contact spots, trivial in context. It sits on matrix of manganese ore, nicely accented by smaller olmiite clusters and gemmy little calcite crystals. This is a MAJOR specimen for the species, for South Africa, and just for pretty red rocks of any kind. While it does not have the top lustre of other pieces here, it has sheer size, and the color impact that goes with it; and is thus quite significant for the find.

OLM-04 - OLMIITE - $ 3850
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 4.5 x 4.2 x 3.9 cm

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At 4 cm, this is one of the larger, complete spherical aggregates of olmiite found, in good condition. It is complete ALL around, with just a few minor contacts on the backside marring otherwise spherical symmetry. It has the best sparkling glassy lustre, and has a juicy red-pink color. This is a signifiant piece for a rare species, but more than that it is a beautiful mineral specimen, period: a 4-cm floater ball of color, that is just amazing to see in person. I understand that very few of this quality AND completeness were found, from my sources. The cluster is attractively perched on a bit of matrix, accented by little calcites.

OLM-05 - OLMIITE - $ 2000
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 4.3 x 2.7 x 2.6 cm

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This is a special, nearly unique specimen to my eye - a real euhedral, big crystal of olmiite on which a sparkling druse of second-generation olmiite has formed. So, it is not a spherical aggregate like the rest, but a real crystal, showing stereotypic crystal form underneath the sparkling pink overlay! The color is not the intense red-pink hue, but rather a more neutral pink-peach mix. Still, it is sparkly and very pretty. Note from the backlit shot that it is translucent internally. Both crystals are complete, and pristine without any damage whatsoever, all around. The larger crystal measures 2.7 cm. Such specimens are rare, in this find.

OLM-06 - OLMIITE - $ 1950
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 5.6 x 4.8 x 3.3 cm

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Beautiful, sparkling olmiite spherical aggregates to 2.2 cm, make this a rolling 3-dimensional specimen with a lot of eye appeal. This is a very showy miniature with a lot of coverage and flash for the price.

OLM-07 - OLMIITE - $ 3000
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
small cabinet, 8.3 x 4.7 x 3.3 cm

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A rather unusual specimen featuring, instead of a spherical aggregate of small crystals, rather large crystals arranged in a radial spray. In fact, we have here two crystal groups, one atop the other. This piece was unique in my lot of around 100 pieces, and I have still nto seen another quite like it. It has good color, but effectively no sparkle - it has a matte lustre to the surface. Still, it is dramatic, large, and i think significant for the species in the size and habit of these radially grown larger crystals (to 4 cm). The association seems to be pectolite, but I haven't had it tested to be sure. None of my other specimens have this matrix, leading me to suspect this unusual specimen was formed under threshold conditions at the edge of the main pocket, apart from the rest.

OLM-08 - OLMIITE - $ 2000
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
small cabinet, 6.8 x 5.6 x 4.2 cm

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A glistening, wet-looking, colorful small cabinet specimen with a color that would best be described as neither red/pink nor peach, but somewhere in between. This is a large, showy piece with only a small contact at the top but otherwise complete on the front - so, no significant damage to the display face despite its size. For the price, it is hard to find a piece of such size with top lustre and no damage, so I regard this as an excellent value.

OLM-10 - OLMIITE - $ 750
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 3.5 x 2.5 x 2.4 cm

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A beautiful 2.5-cm-tall cluster of the most sparkling quality olmiites, perched on equally sparkling calcite!

OLM-11 - OLMIITE - SOLD
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 5.2 x 4.0 x 2.3 cm

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An unusually discrete cluster (2 cm across)of olmiite on contrasting manganese ore matrix. A sharp miniature!

OLM-12 - OLMIITE - $ 300
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 3.8 x 2.7 x 2.0 cm

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An elegant cluster of olmiite crystals to 1.1 cm

OLM-13 - OLMIITE - $ 750
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 3.0 x 2.5 x 2.1 cm

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This is a special, nearly unique specimen to my eye - a real euhedral, big crystal of olmiite on which a sparkling druse of second-generation olmiite has formed. So, it is not a spherical aggregate like the rest, but a real crystal, showing stereotypic crystal form underneath the sparkling pink overlay! The color is not the intense red-pink hue, but rather a more neutral pink-peach mix. Still, it is sparkly and very pretty. Note from the backlit shot that it is translucent internally. All crystals are complete, and pristine without any damage whatsoever, all around. The larger crystal measures 1.7 cm. Such specimens are rare, in this find.

OLM-14 - OLMIITE - $ 750
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
small cabinet, 5.5 x 4.3 x 1.7 cm

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A particularly elegant specimen with clusters to 1.2 cm

OLM-15 - OLMIITE - $ 1800
N'Chwaning II Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
miniature, 4.8 x 3.8 x 3.5 cm

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A juicy, very colorful piece with highest lustre and crystal size to 2.5 cm. There is no damage to the display face, although some contacts to teh sides and rear of the specimen. Still, it shows wonderfully and has luscious, deep color and, again, about the highest lustre you can get. Overall, very aesthetic

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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

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