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From a classic locale, this is a lovely example of purple apatite. The crystals are aesthetically nestled in a vug of colorless, sparkling quartz crystals, to 2 mm in length. The apatite crystals exhibit glassy luster along with a pastel lilac color. Several of the translucent crystals, to .8 cm in length, are also doubly terminated. It is unusual to find specimens from here so nicely contrasted on matrix, and isolated form one another instead of the usual jumble. INTERESTING NOTE courtesy of WENDELL WILSON: I'm pleased that you are posting old labels with specimens. Your Hauck specimen # RH1-11 carries a label for H. W. Arndt. If you check the Label Archive you will find some background on him as follows: "Harold W. Arndt was President of the Delaware County, Pennsylvania Institute of Science, and was Curator of Minerals at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania from 1958 to 1989. He selected many of the finest minerals from the Vaux Collection for display in hall cases along the first and second floors of the Physics and Math wings of the Park Science Center. He also maintained a personal collection of minerals, as the labels shown here attest." That's all I know about him. I had two blank Arndt labels posted there, but didn't have one filled out in Arndt's handwriting. I hope you don't mind that I lifted your image and added it to Arndt's page. http://mineralogicalrecord.com/labels.asp?colid=57&submitmineral.x=60&submitmineral.y=14 5.2 x 4.2 x 4.0 cm
A thin and very lightweight crust of sparkling, colorless, quartz druse has totally covered and then cast an anhydrite crystal. 8.7 x 3.9 x 1.5 cm
The defunct Bingham open pit, a huge disseminated deposit, was never known for crystallized specimens. Therefore, this specimen of bright, dark gray, tetrahedrite crystals, to .3 cm across, nestled among colorless, lustrous, translucent quartz crystals, to .7 cm in length, is a rare specimen! 4.0 x 2.8 x 2.2 cm
Thousands of good specimens from this deposit have been sold over the years, but few are as good as this combo specimen, surely from the heyday of the 1970s to early 1980s. Jackstraw clusters of lustrous, colorless, transparent, quartz crystals, to 2 cm in length act as a platform for two large, composite, lustrous, black crystals of sphalerite, to 3.2 cm across. Perched between the sphalerites are mesmerizing, hoppered crystals of galena, to 2.50 cm across. To boot, there are even a couple of mirror bright, striated cubes of pyrite, to 1.0 cm across. In the large number of quartz crystals are only a few with broken tips, and they melt into insignificance. This is a large and dramatic piece from a classic locality, that is now for all intents and purposes defunc tin terms of such specimens. 10.1 x 8.1 x 4.1 cm
A cluster of lustrous smoky quartz crystals, to 5.0 cm in length, have emerged from a matrix of microcline var. amazonite crystals. They are of high quality, and translucent to transparent! These highly lustrous amazonite crystals are a pastel, blue-green color, and can measure over 2 cm in length. The color and texture contrast along with the aesthetic quality of large smokys and smaller amazonites all add up to make this a fine Colorado specimen clearly of old vintage and different from what is found today. It is possible that one or more amazonite crystals may even be twinned, though I am not quite sure here. There is an insignificant wilber at the termination on the back side of the largest smoky, but otherwise they are complete all around, a miracle for such a large amazonite plate - they are often loaded with repairs, at least from the modern finds. 7.8 x 7.4 x 5.3 cm
Amethyst crystals from this area of Mexico have long been considered among the world’s finest for the species. This aesthetic group on a sliver of matrix, features several transparent, lustrous, lilac colored crystals which reach 5.5 cm in length. Unique features on the largest, most deeply colored crystals, are indentations on the prism faces which could represent incipient sceptered growth. A beautiful and elegant specimen, that is much better in person! 9.9 x 7.2 x 4.3 cm
A single, twinned, gemmy, lustrous, bright red, crystal of cinnabar, measuring 1.8 cm in length, is perched on gem clear, colorless, quartz crystals to .3 cm in length and white dolomite rhombs to .5 cm across. Oddly, the whole underside of the specimen is covered in translucent, lustrous, tan crystals of calcite to .7 cm across. My gut feeling is that this piece dates back at least to the very early 1980s and was probably one of the very first cinnabars to come out in a trickle that shocked the mineral world. I could see htis being a $10k rock at the time....they were that astonishing! Of cours,e more were mined afterwards and came out in the mid 90s. But now, these large cyclic twins are very rare, and good combo specimens like this more so. They certianly dont "make em like they used to" ! 5.4 x 3.9 x 2.3 cm
This amethyst rosette is a uniform, pastel lilac color, with good translucence and luster. The largest crystal is 2.0 cm in length. Enhancing this piece is a dusting of iridescent, pyrite crystals which average .1 cm across. The color of this amethyst is very close to the color of amethyst and pyrargyrite which appeared in Peter Bancroft’s first book and which proudly resides in the British Museum of Natural History, from Guanajuato. 6.8 x 6.5 x 2.9 cm
8.8 x 7.0 x 5.0 cm. A superb and classic smoky quartz and amazonite specimen from the Florissant area of Colorado. This fine, unrepaired piece is dominated by a superbly placed 5.0 cm, translucent, smoky quartz crystal that has a low-lustre finish. The two smaller smoky quartzes and the turquoise-blue amazonite crystals wonderfully complete this very fine piece. The large smoky quartz is complete all-around and is very nearly pristine. Ex. Peter Bancroft Collection.
This locality is noted for classic rich pink fluorite on quartz, just as you see here. Several octahedral crystals of color-zoned, rich pink, translucent, fluorite, to 1.5 cm across are aesthetically perched on a colorless, gemmy, lustrous, crystal of quartz which reaches 7.0 cm in length. From this locality (or several in the immediate area), the quartz is sometimes colorless and not smoky as you often see form elsewhere in Switzerland. With teh pink on teh white, it makes for a whole different contrast than the usual pink-on-smoky situation. Very nice display specimen ! 7.7 x 4.6 x 3.5 cm
Every now and then you run across a specimen that just puts a smile on your face: not a "world beater", but just a good rock. This rhodochrosite on quartz from Cavnic is such a piece for its visual appeal aside from the historical value of being a classic example from early production out of this locality quite different than what is found in recent years. Several rosettes of lustrous, pastel pink rhodochrosite, to an INCH (2.5 cm across) are discretely arranged on a matrix of lustrous, snow white, sculptured, drusy quartz. The sparkle, texture, and color contrast makes this a very desirable specimen. Big, too! I cannot say when i last saw rhodo in such style from this locale. 9.6 x 6.7 x 4.1 cm
This is an indisputable killer display specimen from the old queen of localities for the species. I know that the new Chinese ferberite specimens are the “cats meow” today, but they aren’t any better than this classic ferberite with quartz from Bolivia. The 7.5 cm tall, black, lustrous, ferberite crystal is aesthetically perched above and amidst colorless, gemmy quartz crystals that reach 6.5 cm in length. The quartz has some interesting iron oxide staining that could probably be removed, but adds a touch of color. The termination of the ferberite is striking for its sharp textbook form and 3-dimensionality - you can display it form any side. There are a couple of trivial wilbers on the ferberite, but they pale in the overall quality of the specimen. This is another example of the eclectic mineral collection of Peter Bancroft, and one of his competition-quality speicmens! BETTER IN PERSON! 7.5 x 6.9 x 5.2 cm
This large, colorless and transparent, quartz crystal has been richly included by sprays of golden rutile needles. The rutile needles are aesthetically arranged across the broad front face of the quartz. The only glitch is minor damage at the apex of the termination, but even that does not affect the pleasure of viewing the rutile inclusions and given the size of the piece and the very small nature of that ding, its acceptable to me. Wha tis unusual about this specimen is that, at least in what we see from current mining in the area, the rutile is included in SMOKY quartzes and so the contrast is often minimized compared to the brilliantly colorful contrast we see here, in clear quartz. 9.3 x 7.8 x 6 cm
This deposit is characterized by amethyst whose color becomes decidedly more intense at the termination. This attractive specimen is on matrix and features several, larger, more intensely colored amethyst crystals along with many smaller crystals that somehow didn't get any amethyst coloring to them - makes for a striking contrast, i think! It is rare to see the color saturation go so far down to the root, and these crystals , to 3.5 cm, are also quite fat for the locality. The overall effect is like a large purply pincushion! 12.2 x 7.1 x 4.7 cm
Large, pyramidal, slate-gray crystals of tetrahedrite, to 3.5 cm in length, have grown in and around translucent, pastel gray, crystals of quartz which reach the same length. There does not appear to be any damage or contact except at the extreme periphery of this matrix specimen. The tetra cluster just floats up there, perfect as can be! Very rare in such aesthetic form! 9 x 7.8 x 5.5 cm All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The ArkenstonePowered by http://mineralwebsites.comMineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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