HISTORIC MINERALS of the UNITED STATES:
many ex. Hollman, Elling, and Scalisi Collections

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USA-75 - Epidote - SOLD
VAG Mine, Eden Mills, Vermont, USA
small cabinet, 6.2 x 3.3 x 2.3 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Epidote from VAG Mine, Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa75abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Epidote from VAG Mine, Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa75bbg.jpg]

This is a very large, robust, lustrous epidote crystal, wihtout alteration to garnets or diopside as is typical here. ex. Ken Hollman Collection (and self-collected by him). There is some damage on the left side of the crystal's termination, and a few shallow bits of edge wear otherwise but this is still a fairly good piece for the location because of its thickness and size.

USA-69 - Grossular Garnet on Idocrase - SOLD
Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA
small cabinet, 6.5 x 4.4 x 3.4 cm
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Grossular Garnet on Idocrase from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa69abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Grossular Garnet on Idocrase from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa69b.jpg]
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Grossular Garnet on Idocrase from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa69c.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Grossular Garnet on Idocrase from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa69d.jpg]

The bright, jewel-like garnets from this locality are treasured in old collections, and now hard to obtain on the market. This particularly showy specimen has super lustre, intense deep color, and good aesthetics - the isolation on contrasting crystallized matrix is unusual. The crystals reach 9 mm and leap out very 3-dimensionally. Unfortunately, although the left side crystals (the best part) are pristine, the large crystal on the right side, and another above it, are cleaved, and there is thus some damage on the specimen. However it displays very impressively, and in fact probably is best shown at a horizontal, and then the damaged crystals are in the bottom portion. Still, this is an old classics, very hard to come by today, and especially without "breaking the bank."

USA-70 - Pyrite on Grossular Garnet on Diopside - SOLD
Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA
thumbnail, 1.8 x 1.3 x 1.1 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Pyrite on Grossular Garnet on Diopside from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa70abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Pyrite on Grossular Garnet on Diopside from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa70b.jpg]

An adorable little thumbnail, not expensive but just too cute to pass up and have left laying around with the less valuable parts of the colelction to be lost to time and collectors. ex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-72 - Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote - SOLD
Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA
miniature, 4.3 x 2.2 x 1.7 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa72abg.jpg]
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Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa72b.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa72c.jpg]

A rare replacement, classic for this locality! Grossular garnet has completely replaced a former epidote crystal cluster. Diopside crystals deposited later, accent the termination. ex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-71 - Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote - SOLD
Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA
miniature, 4.0 x 1.8 x 1.4 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa71abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Grossular Garnet pseudo. after Epidote from Eden Mills, Lowell, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa71b.jpg]

A rare replacement, classic for this locality! Grossular garnet has completely replaced a former epidote crystal cluster. Slightly contacted at each end, but displays well. ex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-65B - Pyrite - SOLD
French Creek Mines, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA
small cabinet, 6.4 x 4.3 x 4.0 cm
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Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65Babg.jpg]
Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65Bc.jpg] Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65Bd.jpg]

This is the second of two superb, sharp, lustrous specimens of antique pyrite from the famous French Creek Mining area,. Both are from the collection of ER Chadbourn, early 1900s, through Phil Scalisi's collection rife with US classics, and recently belonging to another US East Coast collector. This piece has sharp crystals, somewhat curving, upon a knoll of matrix. It is pristine and shows no sign of decrepitating "pyrite disease."

USA-62 - Milarite - SOLD
Middle Moat Mt., Hale's Location, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, USA
small cabinet, 7.4 x 6.9 x 3.9 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Milarite from Middle Moat Mt., Hale's Location, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa62abg.jpg]
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Milarite from Middle Moat Mt., Hale's Location, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa62bbg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Milarite from Middle Moat Mt., Hale's Location, Carroll Co., New Hampshire, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa62c.jpg]

I had seen milarite from Brazil, and Switzerland, but not a great one from New Hampshire before I lucked into learning of it from this apparently well-known specimen. It is illustrated in Figure 18, page 294,The New Hampshire issue of Rocks and Minerals - V65 #4. The crystal spray is fully 2 cm, nicely protected in a pocket of feldspar and smoky quartz.
ex. Ken Hollman Collection. A notecard with the piece, apparently from Ken, noted that this was bought from John Oliver, that it was "excellent," and that there is associated fluorite and also an unidentified mineral. He thought it worth noting that the piece had not been "acid cleaned" as well. A true East Coast rarity!

USA-61 - Pyromorphite - SOLD
Wheatley Mine, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA
miniature, 4.3 x 3.5 x 2.4 cm
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Pyromorphite from Wheatley Mine, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa61abg.jpg]
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Pyromorphite from Wheatley Mine, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa61c.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Pyromorphite from Wheatley Mine, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa61b.jpg]

Wheatley Mine pyros come along very seldom, and when they do, they are often not much more than druses of small crystals. These were found in the mid to late 1800s. But this is an EXCEPTIONAL specimen, with large crystals (for the Wheatley) measuring to over a centimeter in length. These crystals are attractively accumulated at the top of the matrix, with a field of tiny crystals beneath them. What you see on the display face are actually the top ends of a solid mat of pyro crystals that wraps around to the back. The overall fanspray here is about 2 cm, which is incredible for this locality. If you have your Bunker Hill, Les Farges and Chinese pyro but have yet to own a Pennsylvania one, better jump on this, as they just aren’t seen for sale very often in this quality. In fact, although this is not the largest specimen I have sold, or the most expensive, I'd clock it as one of the very finest.

USA-66 - Hemimorphite - SOLD
Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
small cabinet, 8.0 x 7.5 x 4.8 cm
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ex.  George Elling

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Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa66abg.jpg]
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Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa66b.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa66c.jpg]

This flowerlike cluster is a super example of Sterling Hill hemimorphite: a brilliantly lustrous, sparkling plate of stark white hemimorphite, from this classic and important locale. Probably one of the most sparkly, daylight-pretty Sterling Hill minerals you can get, for that matter. The quality of this small cab cannot be overstated - for the mine, its excellent. But even on a worldwide basis, it compares VERY favorably to Mexican material thought by most collectors to rank highest for this particular habit of the species, among display specimens. It is a stunning piece: though color-challenged it is nevertheless impactful. ex. George Elling Collection

USA-65A - Pyrite - SOLD
French Creek Mines, Warwick Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA
miniature, 5.3 x 4.2 x 2.7 cm
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Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Warwick Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65aabg.jpg]
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Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Warwick Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65ac.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Pyrite from French Creek Mines, Warwick Township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa65ad.jpg]

This is the first of two superb, sharp, lustrous specimens of antique pyrite from the famous French Creek Mining area,. Both are from the collection of ER Chadbourn, early 1900s, through Phil Scalisi's collection rife with US classics, and recently belonging to another US East Coast collector. This piece is dramatic and shows a curving and graceful cluster of pyrites stacked upon a small bit of matrix; and it looks like pyrite from no other locality I can think of. It is pristine and shows no sign of decrepitating "pyrite disease."

USA-56 - Chalcopyrite var. Blister Ore - SOLD
Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA
cabinet, 11.5 x 7.4 x 5.9 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Chalcopyrite var. Blister Ore from Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa56abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Chalcopyrite var. Blister Ore from Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa56e.jpg]
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Chalcopyrite var. Blister Ore from Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa56b.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Chalcopyrite var. Blister Ore from Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa56c.jpg]

Everybody knows of the famous 1800's-era Bristol Mine for one species: chalcocite. However, it DID produce other minerals, including spectacular iridescent chalcopyrites such as this one. These botryoidal, fanciful growths were commonly known as "blistre ore" or "blister copper" by the miners. This is an extremely good, large, and showy example, with some attached quartz matrix at bottom. It is 3-dimensional, and complete all around except for only a bit of peripheral wear and on ebroken nodule amongst many. S supreb, cabinet sized, display-quality, historic specimen of a rare style of chalcopyrite (I am familiar with it only from Cornwall and Butte, both rarely seen anyhow). It is the rare variety described by Bob Jones in the Bristol Article, Min Record, Vol 32, # 6, page 446, with a photo on page 447, which shows the stalactitic chalcopyriteex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-59 - Spodumene - SOLD
Walnut Hill Pegmatite Prospect, Huntington, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA
cabinet, 14.2 x 9.2 x 3.0 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Spodumene from Walnut Hill Pegmatite Prospect, Huntington, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa59abg.jpg]
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Spodumene from Walnut Hill Pegmatite Prospect, Huntington, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa59b.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Spodumene from Walnut Hill Pegmatite Prospect, Huntington, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa59c.jpg]

This is the CRYSTAL TYPE LOCALITY for spodumene, apparently. A LARGE, 660-gram single, sharply terminated crystal of spodumene from this classic old locality circa mid-1800s! They were considered very important at the time (remember, gem pink kunzite had NOT yet been found in California, Brazil, or Afghanistan), and these crystals were considered highly important and sold or traded into all major museums. Owning one of these would be a goal to assemble any major collection of the time, of important US minerals. Today, they are not worth their weight in gold any more (660 grams...ouch!), but they still are important historical pieces. This location was first documented by Edward Hitchcock in 1833 (Report on the Geology, Mineralogy, Botany and Zoology of Massachusetts), and the first location to yield crystallography on the species (1879). The quarry was last operated by B. K Emerson of Amherst College, and Frank Nason (Nasonite) operated the location in 1885. This is when the majority of the old specimens were recovered. For the size of this crystal, this is really good! They generally get a little more "aesthetically challenged" with size. This is one of the best I have seen, and although color-challenged, it is a very important historical specimen nonetheless, and a superb example from this now defunct pegmatite. ex. Ken Hollman Collection. Thanks to Jim Chenard for this footnote: A funny note on this area was with regards to the early Professor Emerson, who wrote the Mineralogical Lexicon of Hampshire, Hampden Counties in Mass. His journal well documents the Walnut Hill location, and always used taverns as landmarks. His writing got worse during the day, and he would frequently come back to Amherst on foot, since he would forget where his horse was. This is an old location!

USA-54 - Vesuvianite on talc - SOLD
Eden Mills, Vermont, USA
small cabinet, 7.0 x 5.5 x 2.7 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Vesuvianite on talc from Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa54abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Vesuvianite on talc from Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa54d.jpg]
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Vesuvianite on talc from Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa54e.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Vesuvianite on talc from Eden Mills, Vermont, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa54c.jpg]

Gemmy, glassy, sharp green vesuvianite crystals perched amidst a nest of thin, bladed talc crystals. Classic material from this important asbestos mine. MUCH better in person. ex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-60 - Hemimorphite - SOLD
Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA
cabinet, 11.0 x 6.8 x 4.8 cm
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ex.  Ken Hollman

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Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa60abg.jpg]
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Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa60b.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Hemimorphite from Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensberg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa60c.jpg]

A brilliantly lustrous, sparkling plate of stark white hemimorphite, from this classic and important locale! Probably one of the most sparkly, daylight-pretty Sterling Hill minerals you can get, for that matter. ex. Ken Hollman Collection

USA-51 - Magnetite - SOLD
ZCA Mine No. 4, Balmat, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA
small cabinet, 5.8 x 5.5 x 3.9 cm
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ex.  John Barlow

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Magnetite from ZCA Mine No. 4, Balmat, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa51abg.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Magnetite from ZCA Mine No. 4, Balmat, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa51b.jpg]
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Magnetite from ZCA Mine No. 4, Balmat, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa51c.jpg]		CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Magnetite from ZCA Mine No. 4, Balmat, St Lawrence Co., New York, USA [db_pics/usa1/usa51d.jpg]

This is a stunning rock, of ANY species. But it just happens to be a magnetite, and I think a world class one, at that. This is an elegant magnetite from this important, briefly collected locality, with sharp, lustrous, jet black crystals to 3.5 cm , though most are a bit smaller. These magnetites to me are best of species - I know some will disagree, choosing instead the sharp Swiss octohedra. But, for me, i like the metallic, jet black, complex cubic intricacy of these NY Magnetites better - and the specimens are larger and more pretty, overall, too. This is a major classic, not just a rarity; but more than that it is just something really different for a common species normally relegated to the drawers and not to display in a showcase. I have seen a number of these, as I was around when they were coming out in the 1980s, and this remains for my taste one of the few finest I know of. It was in the John Barlow Collection, which was sold in 1998. Despite all the more expensive things, rare and common both in that collection, I still think this was an underappreciated and important specimen. It retains John's plastic label used for the few specimens in one of his competition exhibit cases, so out of his 6000 specimens he felt pretty good about it, too. I bought and sold it at that time, in the late 1990s, and was thrilled to be able to exchange it back from an overseas collector recently.


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