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Mineral Specimens with Quartz
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8.0 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm. A very fine specimen of this now very-well-known combination from Tongbei, but from original early 1990s finds there, so very different in style than more recent specimens. Here, you have intense red jewel-like crystals to 0.5 cm, richly covering a stark white matrix that shows through attractively in spots, with a number of smoky quartz crystals but one dominant one that "makes" the piece (in superb condition).
A very odd quartz crystal, with beautiful inclusions of a dispersed yellow mineral and also needle-like inclusions of crystals that appear to be tourmaline. 6 x 2 x 1.7 cm
11.5 x 8.5 x 3.6 cm. Slightly amethystine, pale lavender crystals with a bit of baryte, this is a nice old classic from a region known more for fluorite and silver than for good quartz specimens. Ex. Dr. Mark Feinglos and Humboldt Museum Collections.
12.5 x 6.8 x 3 cm. Nagyagite is one of those old European rarities that are both mineralogically and historically interesting. This is a very large, rich plate with freestanding (unetched from calcite) crystals to 4mm of this very rare species, from its type locality, richly scattered over a matrix composed of sphalerite with decorative pale pink rhodochrosite accent. It is important that this has not been etched out from calcite as with so many nagyagite specimens, as that preparation method changes the natural patina on the surface of the crystals. These are rather robust, stubby crystals, nicely interspersed with rhodochrosite aggregates on ore matrix. Ex. Dr. Werner Paar Collection.
7.5 x 5.2 x 3.7 cm. Sylvanite, the rare silver and gold telluride, was discovered here at the type locality in 1835. It is known at its best for this surreal, metallic-organic growth that seems to have pattern, when crystallized at we see here. More technically speaking, these are flat-lying crystals in the form of typical graphic intergrowths ("Schrifterz"). The effect is bizarre, and beautiful. Good hand-sized specimens from this type locality, most surely dating to the mid 1800s or before, are extremely rare. Ex. Dr. Werner Paar Collection.
8 x 4 x 3 cm. Hessite is a very rare silver telluride that occurs at its best, in large crystals as you see here, only from this old classic locality. The area with good crystals (one elongated xl is really important and dramatic) measures approximately 3x2 cm which is a rather large and impressive coverage. There is even some very microscopic gold in association. The piece retains its original patina, un-cleaned by any acids or chemicals to brighten the hessite (although this is easily done with silver cleaners) or to change the quartz from iron-stained orange to a contrasting white color (also easily done with simple iron-out cleaners). Ex. Dr. Werner Paar Collection.
4.0 x 3.4 x 2.9 cm. Truly complete stalactite clusters from the classic Ray Mine are uncommon. This piece is a particularly aesthetic miniature, complete all around, with surreal "reaching" stalks that are translucent and slightly curving as they reach out from the matrix base. This would be an older specimen, from the 1970s or early 1980s. Most specimens from the modern finds here just look different, and also tend to consist of smaller stalactites on larger matrix. It is interesting how the quartz coating on the chrysocolla "dimples out" at the tips, creating a clear translucent cone atop each stalactite.
10.8 x 5.6 x 3.6 cm. This stark quartz crystal features a superb, gem clean, 5 x 1 x 0.7 cm indicolite hanging off the edge. The tourmaline is gem, not just clean and pretty, but gemmy enough to cut in its entirety. The quartz is complete all around, and doubly-terminated, with a little cloud of sparkling purple lepidolite hanging around the base as well. Matrix gem indicolites are extremely rare. Ex. Steve Smale Collection.
11.0 x 8.2 x 6.3 cm. This is a very fine cabinet piece from 2005 mining at this important amazonite district. It features a nearly 2 inch smoky quartz leaping out from surrounding amazonite. The stark contrast of color and form has always made these combination pieces treasured classics, and admittedly the world's best come only intermittently from a small area of Colorado. This specimen was purchased by the previous collector as soon as it was put on the shelf for sale by Joe Dorris, who mined it. Like all of these clusters, it is multiply repaired but this goes with the territory and as long as the repairs are clean (which they are), posed no objection when he brought it into a crowd of about 6 Dallas area collectors in the hallway at the Denver show that year to get a vote on it (which was unanimous). So my friend, collector Wally Mann, jumped on this at the time. However, I traded this from him last year in early 2008. Ex. Wally Mann Collection.
This specimen features sharp, metallic, lustrous crystals to 1.6 cm embedded in contrasting quartz matrix. Note also the several clusters of smaller, but extremely fine and freestanding crystals elsewhere on the specimen. It is a DRAMATIC display specimen of the classic old erythrite from this silver-mining district that, until recent days, was by far and away among the world's best for the species for hundreds of years! Such pieces, especially in this size, are almost unavailable and come up only in a few choice old collections. 9 x 8 x 5.5 cm
9.9 x 5.8 x 5.6 cm. A second generation of small, super-sparkly amethyst crystals has formed on the original crystals, with their smooth terminations peeking out above the blanket of small crystals. Ex. Richard Hauck Collection.
11.9 x 5.8 x 5.1 cm. If this Arkansas quartz specimen looks unusual, it is: these very transparent, unusually slender crystals have grown on a shard of gray matrix, and overall it has a look so different from (and more elegant than) the usual "slab of crystals" from Arkansas. This quarry was once known for this particular style, and now they are hard to come by. They were called "Solution Quartz".
6.5 x 5.9 x 4.1 cm. This specimen is notable by reason of its locality: the Hunedoara region of Romania, obviously not a place you see lots of specimens from. The crystals have dark purple tips on lighter bodies, and actually do have a nice glow to them under good light. These are very old, very rare. Ex. Richard Hauck Collection.
3.8 x 3.8 x 3.4 cm. From an old collection (Frank Hess), a very rare specimen of amethyst from the old Quaker Site in the Oakland area of Rhode Island. It features two bright and gemmy crystals that have grown side-by-side (a bit of tip damage to them) - very transparent with a subtle purple glow from inside. Ex. Richard Hauck Collection.
3.8 x 2.9 x 2.8 cm. Swiss smoky quartzes have a deserved reputation as the best in the world. This miniature features crystals with an intense gemmy clarity that simply cannot be surpassed. This specimen has the attractive addition of platy crystals of hematite. Ex. Richard Hauck Collection.
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
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share specimen![Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz), Spessartine from Wushan Spessartine Mine, Tongbei, Yunxiao Co., Zhangzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province, China [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206380a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206380a.jpg)
![Quartz from Virgem da Lapa, Jequitinhonha valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20682a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20682a.jpg)
![Quartz from Beihilfe Mine, Halsbrücke, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206821a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206821a.jpg)
![Nagyágite, Rhodochrosite, Quartz, Sphalerite from Sacarîmb (Sãcãrâmb; Szekerembe; Nagyág), Hunedoara Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843a.jpg)
![Nagyágite, Rhodochrosite, Quartz, Sphalerite from Sacarîmb (Sãcãrâmb; Szekerembe; Nagyág), Hunedoara Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843b.jpg)
![Nagyágite, Rhodochrosite, Quartz, Sphalerite from Sacarîmb (Sãcãrâmb; Szekerembe; Nagyág), Hunedoara Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843c.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206843c.jpg)
![Sylvanite, Quartz from Baia de Arieş (Offenbánya), Alba Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206896a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206896a.jpg)
![Sylvanite, Quartz from Baia de Arieş (Offenbánya), Alba Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206896b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206896b.jpg)
![Hessite, Quartz from Botés, Alba Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206898a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206898a.jpg)
![Quartz, Chrysocolla from Ray Mine, Scott Mountain area, Mineral Creek District (Ray District), Dripping Spring Mts, Pinal Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206925a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206925a.jpg)
![Tourmaline (Var: Indicolite), Quartz from Santa Rosa mine, Itambacuri, Doce valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206932a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206932a.jpg)
![Microcline (Var: Amazonite), Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz) from Smoky Hawk claim, Crystal Peak area, Teller Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-206935a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-206935a.jpg)
![Erythrite, Quartz from Schneeberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany [db_pics/mdpics/MD-20697a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-20697a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Amethyst) from Boekenhoutshoek area (Boekenhouthoek), Mkobola district, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207227a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207227a.jpg)
![Quartz from Jeffrey Quarry, Jeffrey, Pulaski Co., Arkansas, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207228a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207228a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Amethyst) from Vălişoara (Porkura), Hunedoara Co., Romania [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207231a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207231a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Amethyst) from State Route 102 road cut, Oakland, Burrillville, Providence Co., Rhode Island, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207239a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207239a.jpg)
![Quartz (Var: Smoky Quartz), Hematite from St Gotthard pass area, Central St Gotthard Massif, Leventina, Ticino (Tessin), Switzerland [db_pics/mdpics/MD-207240a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-207240a.jpg)