|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
ex. William Larson
Unusual for the county, a very sharp, very gemmy, transparent smoky quartz. Note the color is very rich, almost citrine.
ex. William Larson
A very large, nearly clean gem cut from rough from this small claim in Riverside County (part of the same pegmatite district, and so acceptable to San Diego collectors!)
ex. William Larson
This is a gorgeous thumbnail, for my taste the most elegant and best-colored Himalaya mine apatite I have seen. Although small, it’s a real jewel for the locality, and something considered quite rare
ex. William Larson
Poway, one of the growing suburbs of NE San Diego itself, is now getting covered by condos and shopping malls. I was surprised to see this in the collection.
ex. William Larson
A classic of San Diego pegmatites, these odd pink-colored quartzes are colored by dispersed inclusions of Montmorillonite , and historically were often sliced and diced for sale in pieces to the locals. This is a really large, relatively elegant piece of good quality.
ex. William Larson
For me, this is the ultimate "locality piece" because it is so shockingly good for a locality you would not expect to see hardly anything major from, that it can stand for the species on its own merits in competition with the more productive and famous locales in Pakistan or Brazil. I cannot say I have seen a better schorl from North America, and most people think this pocket really DID produce the best we will see of the species in our country, at the least. Collected by Al Ordway in the mid 1980s and exchanged to Bill Larson soon after it was found. NEVER on the open market until now. This is a superb clustree, without any repairs.
ex. William Larson
A dramatic large, unrepaired specimen of fat schorl crystals accented with gemmy quartz and stark white albite blades. It is complete all around save for an unusual contact spot on the lefthand side (shown forward in 2nd photo). This would be considered exceptional for the locality and a great schorl by any standard from a US locale.
ex. William Larson
A REALLY GOOD, gemmy, transparent, equant, smoky quartz from this small recent mine! From the miner, Philip Osborn: I dug the crystal in the mid 90's and I also faceted the stone out of material from the same pocket. Its an outstanding American quartz in any case, and of rare gemminess. The gem is 2 cm across and 22 carats.
ex. William Larson
Another fine San Diego quartz! Bill knew the rarity of truly gemmy quartz from this region, and kept several smokies in particular in this collection over the years. The Little Three Mine produced much smoky quartz, but few of this see-through quality in the size range shown here. And, its condition is excellent as well. A county rarity, but also just a good US quartz by any standard.
ex. William Larson
This oustanding specimen from the 1960s-1970s heyday here is both aesthetic and fine in quality. It is not repaired. It features a rich pink 4 x 3.5 cm crystal of GEMMY morganite, perched on contrasting white matrix. Not only is it on contrasting matrix, but it is on contrasting CRYSTALLIZED matrix. Some morganites from here are embedded in lumpy matrix of massive cleavelandite , not this one! The contrast to teh bladed cleavelandite and the prismatic quartz is striking, geometrically, and gives the composition of this piece a boost from "just nice" to the level of a very high quality. The pink color in this crystal is exceptional for the mine and comparable to modern morganites from Pakistan in color, whereas most White Queen morganite, even teh famous Houston piece, is a bit paler in comparison. The upper photos contrast the piece (minimally) backlit and sitting in flat room lighting. As you can see, not much light at all is needed for an internal glow to be dramatic. The crystal is gemmy, pristine, and complete save for contact on the back where it grew agains tmatrix we removed to trim the piece down in size from the way it has sat for the last 30 years. Larson obtained this from the mine owner, Norm Dawson, in the 1980s.
ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
A rare tetrahedrite from this locality. Sharp crystals to 6mm in massive, hefty cluster upon quartz
ex. Peter Bancroft
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.
ex. Peter Bancroft
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!
ex. Peter Bancroft
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" !
ex. Peter Bancroft
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. All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The ArkenstonePowered by http://mineralwebsites.comMineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
share specimen![Smoky Quartz and Epidote from Audrey Lynn Claim, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd349a.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd349a.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz and Epidote from Audrey Lynn Claim, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd349c.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd349c.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz and Epidote from Audrey Lynn Claim, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd349d.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd349d.jpg)
![Citrine Quartz gem from Audrey Lynn Claim, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd350b.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd350b.jpg)
![Citrine Quartz gem from Audrey Lynn Claim, Riverside Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd350c.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd350c.jpg)
![Apatite on Quartz from Himalaya Mine, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd353a.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd353a.jpg)
![Apatite on Quartz from Himalaya Mine, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd353b.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd353b.jpg)
![Apatite on Quartz from Himalaya Mine, San Diego Co., California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd353c.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd353c.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Poway, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd371a.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd371a.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Poway, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd371c.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd371c.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Poway, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/new09mix/sd371e.jpg]](db_pics/new09mix/sd371e.jpg)
![Quartz included by Montmorillonite from White Queen Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-06a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-06a.jpg)
![Quartz included by Montmorillonite from White Queen Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-06b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-06b.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz from Fano Mine, Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01a.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz from Fano Mine, Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01b.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz from Fano Mine, Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01c.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz from Fano Mine, Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01d.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz from Fano Mine, Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01e.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-1-01e.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz and Albite from Pala Chief Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-10a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-10a.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz and Albite from Pala Chief Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-10b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-10b.jpg)
![Schorl with Quartz and Albite from Pala Chief Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-10c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-10c.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Audrey Lynn Mine, Cahuilla Mtn., Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-19a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-19a.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Audrey Lynn Mine, Cahuilla Mtn., Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-19b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-19b.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Audrey Lynn Mine, Cahuilla Mtn., Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-19c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-19c.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Audrey Lynn Mine, Cahuilla Mtn., Riverside County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-19d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-19d.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Little Three Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-23a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-23a.jpg)
![Smoky Quartz from Little Three Mine, San Diego County, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-23b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-23b.jpg)
![Morganite on Cleavelandite with Quartz from White Queen Mine, Pala, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-62a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-62a.jpg)
![Morganite on Cleavelandite with Quartz from White Queen Mine, Pala, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-62b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-62b.jpg)
![Morganite on Cleavelandite with Quartz from White Queen Mine, Pala, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-62c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-62c.jpg)
![Morganite on Cleavelandite with Quartz from White Queen Mine, Pala, California, USA [db_pics/pics/palasd-62d.jpg]](db_pics/pics/palasd-62d.jpg)
![Tetrahedrite on Quartz from Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia [db_pics/pics/pas-143a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pas-143a.jpg)
![Tetrahedrite on Quartz from Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia [db_pics/pics/pas-143b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pas-143b.jpg)
![Tetrahedrite on Quartz from Llallagua, La Joya district, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia [db_pics/pics/pas-143c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pas-143c.jpg)
![Amazonite with Smoky Quartz from Florissant Area, Teller Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/pics/pb10a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb10a.jpg)
![Amazonite with Smoky Quartz from Florissant Area, Teller Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/pics/pb10b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb10b.jpg)
![Amazonite with Smoky Quartz from Florissant Area, Teller Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/pics/pb10c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb10c.jpg)
![Amethyst from Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico [db_pics/pics/pb12a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb12a.jpg)
![Amethyst from Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico [db_pics/pics/pb12b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb12b.jpg)
![Amethyst from Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico [db_pics/pics/pb12c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb12c.jpg)
![Cinnabar on Quartz, Dolomite and Calcite from Tongren, Guizhou Province, China [db_pics/pics/pb17a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb17a.jpg)
![Cinnabar on Quartz, Dolomite and Calcite from Tongren, Guizhou Province, China [db_pics/pics/pb17b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb17b.jpg)
![Cinnabar on Quartz, Dolomite and Calcite from Tongren, Guizhou Province, China [db_pics/pics/pb17c.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb17c.jpg)
![Amethyst with Pyrite from Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico [db_pics/pics/pb18a.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb18a.jpg)
![Amethyst with Pyrite from Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico [db_pics/pics/pb18b.jpg]](db_pics/pics/pb18b.jpg)