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Another superb Eastern European galena, this one with gorgeous HOPPERED crystals, to 1.8 cm! A totally different style from the other Bulgarian galena in this auction, so take your choice - or get both! 8.6 x 5.1 x 4.8 cm
One of several Zacatecas classics in this auction, all from different sources - this one, from the collection of Ed Ruggiero, and still with his index card, showing him to have acquired it in 1975. His card says it was sold to him as tennantite on quartz, and that he had in addition found the sphalerite and pyrite crystals. IN person they are all quite easy to see, and the presence of this snowy white quartz serves to beautifully isolated this combination of crystals. In places, you can see where crystals of one type have grown atop crystals of another - they are wonderfully mixed up on this pretty old piece! 13.9 x 10.8 x 7.8 cm
A showy and excellent combination specimen from the recent finds at the famous Commodore Mine at Creede, Colorado of tiny, amethyst quartz crystal nicely interspersed with VERY GEMMY, yellow-green to lustrous, black sphalerite crystals. The two, protruding "horns" of gem and black sphalerite really add character to this piece. The right side and base have to sawed to enhance display. 6.3 x 6.2 x 6.2 cm
A SHOWYand EXCELLENT Madan, Bulgaria combination piece of lustrous, black sphalerite crystals and bright, brass-yellow chalcopyrite crystals to 1.4 cm nicely interspersed on feldspar matrix. 8.0 x 6.0 x 5.5 cm
This is an exceptiopnally large specimen for any Botes material, to have survived. It consists of a very interesting mix of battleship-grey hessite crystals growing amidst black sphalerite, and has hessite of excellent quality (all the complex, sharp xls in the pictures). You get a lot of visual impact for the buck, though, something hard to "get in hessite" nowadays. This piece is certainly over 100 years old, if not 200. I have handled only a half dozen nice hessites in 2 decades, and this would rank near the top of the lot of them. Moreover it is aesthetic, and unusually attractive to the non-hessite-lover as well . Ex Dave Bunk specimen 6.0 x 3.7 x 2.8 cm
A well formed, lustrous, golden-brown crystal of sphalerite, 3.5 cm across, on white quartz and sharply crystallized, brassy, chalcopyrite crystals, to 2 cm across. I am told these are generally pre-1950 and certainly I do not see pieces of this magnitude pop up often. It was long in Gene Meieran's sulphide collection before I traded it out of him. 5.5 x 5.4 x 4 cm
A fantastic, I’d say even competition-quality Elmwood fluorite specimen. It was incredible how quickly the good specimens disappeared from the market after the mine closed, especially with the mine having been so prolific. Now, sadly, you just don’t see that many killer specimens around for sale. The crystal here measures 1.7 cm on edge, is perched perfectly on a bit of matrix, and is accented by a smaller fluorite and some little red sphalerites. You do not see many Elmwood fluorites better than this in this size range. 4 x 3.2 x 3 cm
8.7 x 3.7 x 3.7 cm. A classic, beautiful, doubly terminated, golden-amber calcite crystal set on a small cluster of gemmy, ruby-jack sphalerite crystals from the Elmwood Mine of Tennessee. The form, high lustre and translucency make this a textbook Elmwood calcite. Both terminations are extremely gemmy and the multiple terminations on one end are fascinating.
This Elmwood piece has SO much going for it. The fluorite is not only large, but it is distinguished by prominently showcasing two (and a smaller one) of the distinctive clear "gem window" corners unique to Elmwood fluorites, providing windows into the gemmy interior. It is these corners that sometimes remain when the fluorite crystals etch away due to corrosive solutions in the pocket that attack corners differently than center faces. In this case, the etching has only just begun on the side faces leaving this pretty contrast between the frosty sides and the glassy corners. This BIG crystal measures 4.5 cm along the edge, so it is truly impressive! It is beautifully wrapped around the sphalerite matrix. There is a small ding on one of the corners. 9 x 7.1 x 5.5 cm
You just do NOT see many pieces like this left around on the market, with the rush to lock up good Elmwood pieces over the past two years. This combo piece has it all: the MOST desirable fluorites, with unusual transparency and super luster, to 2 cm; and, highly lustrous crystals of sphalerite that form a perfect setting for it. I could find only a couple of little contacts on the fluorites, but you have to look for them. 8.5 x 6.5 x 5 cm
ex. Dr. Mark Feinglos
This is an exceptiopnally large specimen for any Botes material, to have survived. It consists of a very interesting mix of battleship-grey hessite crystals growing amidst black sphalerite, and has hessite of excellent quality (all the complex, sharp xls in the pictures). You get a lot of visual impact for the buck, though, something hard to "get in hessite" nowadays. This piece is certainly over 100 years old, if not 200. I have handled only a half dozen nice hessites in 2 decades, and this would rank near the top of the lot of them. Moreover it is aesthetic, and unusually attractive to the non-hessite-lover as well . Ex Dave Bunk specimen
ex. Carnegie Museum
A very attractive "leaf gold" that looks like a leaf, from this old classic locale. It was confirmed for Mark that it is Musariu Mine by the association, and from having been compared in person to specimens in European museum collections. This specimen gives you a good visual area for hte price, and is totally classic of the common Transylvania style. It could be cleaned and brightened, but i like the old look of it.
ex. Martin Zinn
Named after Orlando J. Benston, an ore dressing metallurgist with the University of Illinois, this is a very rare and COMPLEX carbonate species that was found only sporadically, i nsmall pockets, in the odler days of this mine. This is a niec specimen showing the paragenesis of the mineral, on altering fluorite matrix.
ex. Martin Zinn ex. Tom Wiesner
Attractive, translucent, color zoned, fluorite crystals, with dark purple cores and lilac edges, measure 5 cm across. In addition, there are euhedral galena and sphalerite crystals on the back side of the specimen. It is a stunning example of classic, purple zoned fluorite from these now defunct mines! NOTE: FROM THE TOM WIESNER COLLECTION, NOT ZINN. just got mixed in
ex. Dr. Eugene Meieran
A well formed, lustrous, golden-brown crystal of sphalerite, 3.5 cm across, sits majestically on white quartz and sharply crystallized, brassy, chalcopyrite crystals, to 2 cm across. BETTER IN PERSON, this is a combination of flashy metallic hues with some white contrsat at the edges! It is a spectacular display specimen and for quality from this old locality, is something rare on the market today. I do not know how old it is, only tha tI am told these are generally pre-1950 and certainly I do not see pieces of this magnitude pop up often. This is certainly one of the best combo specimens I have seen from Japan. It was long in Gene Meieran's sulphide collection before I traded it out of him.
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