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7.9 x 6.9 x 3.4 cm. This is a fascinating pseudomorph specimen from a find in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. What you have is poker-chip crystals of baryte that have been pseudomorphed by sparkling quartz. This is from the same find that included pseudomorphs of quartz after fluorite. Ex. Richard Hauck Collection.
9.1 x 7.9 x 6.9 cm. Wonderfully transparent, faintly lavender crystals of fluorite to 2 cm on edge, on massive, shiny silver galena with a covering of small crystals of quartz and chalcopyrite, which complement the fluorite crystals beautifully. Ex. Stoudt Collection.
12.8 x 10.1 x 8.5 cm. This style was very rare from the find, and highly valued for the aesthetic appearance of more isolation and association with crystallized quartz. These darker crystals have a matte lustre that contrasts markedly with the quartz. They are translucent, and glow when backlit. The largest octahedron here reaches 3 cm across.
14 x 8 x 8 cm. This is a stunning tourmaline specimen for its size and style, a green-capped habit which is at the least absolutely classic for this region, perhaps even the most stereotypical form of tourmaline for this region. The crystal is translucent and colorful, glowing with an internal color even with only minimal back-lighting. The contrast of the quartz form and geometry, vs. the tourmaline, and contrasted so starkly against the white cleavelandite – make this a superb specimen. Ex. Steve Smale Collection.
8.9 x 6.5 x 3.6 cm. This is an incredible, glowing rose quartz that is literally rosy and not just "pink," from a small new find here collected around January of 2008. The Pitorra Mine is well known for its large rose quartz crystals, but it is not so well known for specimens with such intense color, or an association with clear quartz as well - most are floating free of matrix and association. Aside from the color, though, the specimen has large, fine, translucent crystals and a good aesthetic form in both the crystal cluster itself, and in the way it is perched on contrasting matrix. This is a rare example where a specimen of rose quartz from modern production in Brazil matches head to head with the classic old material from the late 1960s and early 1970s from other mines in this area. This one has bigger, more translucent crystals as well, compared to the Sapucaia finds.
7.8 x 5.9 x 4.8 cm. This is an incredible, glowing rose quartz cluster that is literally rosy and not just "pink," from a small new find here that was collected around January of 2008. The Pitorra Mine is well known for its large rose quartz crystals, but it is not so well known for specimens with such intense color, or an association with clear quartz as well - most are floating free of matrix and association. Aside from the color, though, the specimen has large, fine, translucent crystals and a good aesthetic flowery structure. This is a rare example where a specimen of rose quartz from modern production in Brazil matches head to head with the classic old material from the late 1960s and early 1970s from other mines in this area. This one has bigger, more translucent crystals as well, compared to the Sapucaia finds.
7.9 x 7.3 x 6.3 cm. This piece has large, lustrous, translucent prehnite crystals in globular clusters to over an inch, perched beautifully and 3-dimensionally on matrix of quartz. It is exceptional for the locality and the species; and happens to be a pretty piece as well.
9.8 x 7.0 x 6.6 cm. A significant large specimen with really nice aesthetics from this classic locality. The rhodochrosite crystals form veins running in crevasses through the quartz, showing as elegant clusters on the stark contrasting matrix of crystallized quartz (some of which may be casts after fluorite). The overall contrast of the colorful and sharp rhodochrosites with snow white, cauliflower-like quartz, is visually striking.
11.1 x 9.6 x 5.3 cm. This is a superb rhodochrosite, fluorite, and quartz combination specimen from the Rob’s Pocket find at the Sweet Home Mine. Marty was one of the original investors in the specimen recovery operation here, and had early pick of pieces from many pockets, which he added to his own large collection (sold off in 2005). Ex. Martin Zinn Collection.
5.9 x 4.7 x 3.3 cm. These were a mainstay of the mineral market from the late 1970s, and still trickle out on occasion. But this superb specimen has such aesthetics and contrast. The eosphorite spray is what makes the piece unique - so many of these have lots of eosphorite crystals, but widely dispersed on the matrix and thus lacking the impact you see here of the contrast of both color and geometry. Ex. Dick and Mary Nelson collection.
5.8 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm. From a large but one-time find at this classic older mine, these shockingly odd apatite crystals took awhile to classify chemically as Hydroxylapatite. They have bizarre green color (with zoning) and a sharp hexagonal form as you would expect, but with unusual beveled edges coming to a point. The crystal has exceptional color and lustre, and is also on the large side. It is freestanding on a cluster of quartz, both of which balance each other nicely. Most specimens were massive feldspar plates with apatites upon them, and few were isolated crystals on quartz as you see here.
6.0 x 3.6 x 3.5 cm. A highly significant American locality specimen. The crystal is 2.7 cm across. It is surely an old specimen, though the history has now been lost. Ex. Mel and Grace Dyck Collection.
5 x 4.5 x 2.5 cm. The Dyck collection was well known for an extremely diverse selection of species, including many significant locality pieces that showed unusually good aesthetics. This is pretty for "what it is," in other words, or they wouldn't have owned it - but the piece also had to be significant from its find or locality as well. This large 3.7-cm bornite crystal is sharp and very fine for the locality with an unusually good lustre for this mine. It probably came out in the heyday here in the 1960s-1970s, and Butte today remains a classic locale for which many collectors cherish specimens. The mines here produced what certainly are the best bornites ever found in the US. Ex. Mel and Grace Dyck Collection.
12.7 x 8.0 x 6.8 cm. Weighing in at several pounds, this is a large and fine galena from the Nikolaevskiy Mine. It is a riveting, metallic sculpture that looks like it was manmade and could go in a museum of modern art showcasing the interaction of planes and symmetries. The white quartz druse is sparkly and snow-white bright in person. The galenas are brilliantly lustrous, highly 3-dimensional, and we see here at least two distinct crystal habits on one piece.
6.4 x 5.4 x 5.0 cm. An unusual lavender-colored beryl, 3-cm long and doubly-terminated. The crystal is absolutely gemmy and transparent, and lustrous, and has a definite tint of lavender color to it. In sunlight it goes colorless, but in halogen there comes the color. The crystal is doubly-terminated and elegantly perched here, and would be good even if it were just a goshenite (colorless) but I think it is far more unique and significant. Comes with custom base. Ex. Herb Obodda. All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The ArkenstonePowered by http://mineralwebsites.comMineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
share specimen![Quartz, Baryte from Ourika Valley, High Atlas Mts, Atlas Mts, Morocco [db_pics/mdpics/MD-196864a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-196864a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Quartz, Galena, Chalcopyrite from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-196866a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-196866a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Quartz from Riemvasmaak, Kakamas District, Northern Cape Province, South Africa [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197401a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197401a.jpg)
![Elbaite, Quartz, Albite (Var: Cleavelandite) from Paprok, Nuristan Province (Nurestan; Nooristan), Afghanistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197406a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197406a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Rose Quartz) from Alto da Pitorra, Laranjeiras, Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197409a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197409a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Rose Quartz) from Alto da Pitorra, Laranjeiras, Galiléia, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197410a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197410a.jpg)
![Prehnite, Quartz from Brandberg area, Brandberg District, Erongo Region, Namibia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197418a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197418a.jpg)
![Rhodochrosite, Quartz from Sunnyside Mine (American Tunnel; Mogul Mine; Washington Mine; Belle Creole; Gold Prince; Brenneman Mine; Sunnyside Mine Group), Howardsville, Silverton District, San Juan Co., Colo [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197420a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197420a.jpg)
![Rhodochrosite, Quartz from Sunnyside Mine (American Tunnel; Mogul Mine; Washington Mine; Belle Creole; Gold Prince; Brenneman Mine; Sunnyside Mine Group), Howardsville, Silverton District, San Juan Co., Colo [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197420b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197420b.jpg)
![Rhodochrosite, Fluorite, Quartz from Sweet Home Mine (Home Sweet Home Mine), Mount Bross, Alma District, Park Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197424a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197424a.jpg)
![Eosphorite, Quartz (Var: Rose Quartz), Zanazziite from Taquaral, Itinga, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197428a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197428a.jpg)
![Apatite-(CaOH), Quartz from Sapo mine, Conselheiro Pena, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197440a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197440a.jpg)
![Hübnerite, Quartz from Black Pine Mine (Combination Mine; Black Pine Tailings; Black Pine Dump), Flint Creek Valley, John Long Mts, Philipsburg District (Flint Creek District), Granite Co., Montana, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197442a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197442a.jpg)
![Bornite, Quartz from Leonard Mine, Butte, Butte District, Silver Bow Co., Montana, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197443a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197443a.jpg)
![Galena, Quartz from Nikolaevskiy Mine, Dal'negorsk (Dalnegorsk; Tetyukhe; Tjetjuche; Tetjuche), Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197459a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197459a.jpg)
![Beryl, Quartz, Feldspar Group from Shigar Valley, Skardu District, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan [db_pics/mdpics/MD-197465a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-197465a.jpg)