The Vault - Fine Mineral Specimens for the Sophisticated Mineral Collector


US$    € EURO    ¥ YEN    £ POUND    CAN$    AUS$   

(click on a page number to go to that page:)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

 page 10 / 10  -  prev  -  139 specimens selected  -  bottom  -  back to the Galleries 


D06-134 - Emerald on Quartz - SOLD
Brumado, Bahia, Brazil

small cabinet, 7 x 4.5 x 4 cm
share specimen

ex.  Dr. Steve Smale

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Emerald on Quartz from Brumado, Bahia, Brazil [db_pics/pics/d06-134a.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Emerald on Quartz from Brumado, Bahia, Brazil [db_pics/pics/d06-134b.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Emerald on Quartz from Brumado, Bahia, Brazil [db_pics/pics/d06-134c.jpg]

This is quite simply the best matrix Brazil emerald known, and has been featured on the back cover of Le Regne Minerale in 1998 and in a photo in the Min Record as well. It GLOWS with color. Steve has owned this since the 90s. The pocket was found in 1997 and it was sold to noted french collector Gilles Emmringer. He had one of the best collections of fine quality brazilian gem crystals at the time. Shortly thereafter it was exchanged to Steve Smale. Since its deaccession to Smale, Steve has owned it as one of his marquis gem beryl specimens, well-known from being shown at Tucson and at his home You simply cannot find an equivalent emerald from Colombia or Nigeria , as this rich matrix look remains unique as well. In person, the color is a very glassy and rich hue of green that gem people tell me has a "hint of blue" in it. the result is a very intense color that stands out in brightness form the rather more common , and still expensive, Colombian material. There is simply not another matrix emerald like this, to our knowledge, anywhere on the planet. The piece is large, at 7 x 4.5 x 4 cm overall. The crystal is also of good size at 3.5 cm tall, 2 cm wide, and 1.5 cm thick. It is , again, extremely glassy and bright. the extra color pizzazz contributed by all the small crystals on the side of the central quartz contributes a lot of visual impact and helps to "centre" the eye on the middle. EVEN IF THIS WERE COLOMBIAN , it would fetch a very high price for the aesthetics and color brilliance of the large emerald. The fact that it comes from Brazil, from a mmuch rarer and smaller discovery that seems to have been a on-time occurrence, makes this far more significant than any comparably sized Colombian piece could be, however. I consider myself fortunate that we were able to make an exchange with which we both feel happy (he still has one of the best Colombian matrix emeralds!), to acquire this specimen. It was not for sale, only for trade, in other words. Comes with custom lucite base for easy display.


TAN1 - Tanzanite - SOLD
Merelani Mines, Arusha, Tanzania

miniature, 3.3 x 3.1 x 1.5 cm
share specimen

ex.  Dr. Edward David

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tanzanite from Merelani Mines, Arusha, Tanzania [db_pics/pics/tan1a.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tanzanite from Merelani Mines, Arusha, Tanzania [db_pics/pics/tan1b.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tanzanite from Merelani Mines, Arusha, Tanzania [db_pics/pics/tan1c.jpg]

A specimen of surpassing quality, with both gemminess and GEM VALUE going for it. This is a NATURAL tanzanite without having been heated to enhance the blues at the expense of the red hue. This piece is the most strongly trichroic tanzanite crystal I have ever had to offer. It glows with rich colors: blue, purple, and particularly red/maroon along the c-axis. The pictures only approximate the intensity. Moreover, it is a super-sharp, fully terminated crystal of the highest quality in terms of sharpness of form and fine termination. It has lustre like glass. this is a KILLER and of such quality that it is a miracle it was not cut for facet rough (certainly , though, it could be). This is the finest tanzanite I am aware of that is currently on the open market - I have seen 3 larger and more expensive (one heated, among them), but this is the finest in overall quality. I obtained this from Ed in a deal some time ago and he told me at the time that he had gottne this by request, upon asking Bryan Leees to find him the best possible miniature at the time (mid-1990s).


D06-131 - Tourmaline on Smoky Quartz with Tourmaline - SOLD
Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan

cabinet, 12 x 11 x 7 cm
share specimen

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tourmaline on Smoky Quartz with Tourmaline from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/d06-131a.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tourmaline on Smoky Quartz with Tourmaline from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/d06-131b.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tourmaline on Smoky Quartz with Tourmaline from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/d06-131c.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Tourmaline on Smoky Quartz with Tourmaline from Paprok, Kunar Province, Afghanistan [db_pics/pics/d06-131d.jpg]

A rare "bubblegum pink" on matrix! And what matrix! The tourmaline is pristine and free of damage , complete all around except only a small bit on the backside where an attached, but broken , crystal had been removed. The size of the tourmaline is 10 x 5 x 4.5 cm. The smoky quartz is pristine and free of damage, complete all around . As i said, it is remarkably unrepaired and pristine despite the obvious tendency to have a big tourmaline fall off a large matrix even in situ, before minign disrupts a pocket. The tourmaline color is what we call "bubblegum pink" and is the top richness of that color type (particularly under good lighting!). There are other matrix pinks, but i think the overall juxtaposition of the smoky and tourmaline rising above it so majestically, and the delicate accent of the "v" of 2 gem tourmalines of entirely different habit at its base, makes this piece special and truly elegant. There is a third, small, pink tourmaline between the "v" crystals, which is reflective of the large crystal atop in form. So, the piece is very complementary in its arrangement of 2 different tourmaline styles. Dealing in high end tourmalines is tricky. there is so much personal variation in taste and style! But, I think this is pretty unanimously "great". The condition, and the accent of the secondary tourmalines, take this beyond great though, and into the realm of the truly finest matrix tourmalines one can own. It has been in two private collections in the last decade since it was mined, and not on the public market at any time that I know of. Comes with custom lucite base for easy display.


PR03 - Wulfenite - SOLD
Red Cloud Mine, Trigo Mts, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA

cabinet, 13.5 x 8.3 x 6.2 cm
share specimen

ex.  Dr. Eugene Meieran

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Wulfenite from Red Cloud Mine,  Trigo Mts, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/pics/pr03a.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Wulfenite from Red Cloud Mine,  Trigo Mts, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/pics/pr03b.jpg]
CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE:
Wulfenite from Red Cloud Mine,  Trigo Mts, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/pics/pr03c.jpg]

An incredible stakeholder's specimen from the 1997 excavations, with huge crystals that are ISOLATED on matrix and remarkably without any repairs. The large crystal is 1.25 inches, over 3 cm. Unarguably one of the top pieces of the find, chosen as his pick by Gene Meieran BEFORE the public sale of the material through Wayne Thompson (Gene had an early pick as a financier of the project): chosen for combination of crystal size and isolation of those crystals on matrix (as he prefers big crystals). There are richer specimens, with more coverage, from the find - but those were not the criteria by which this was chosen and it stands out for the stark aesthetics you seldom see, and lack of repairs. There are but a few of this calibre, overall, though. The locality is not only now defunct, but reclaimed.



(click on a page number to go to that page:)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

 page 10 / 10  -  prev  -  139 specimens selected  -  top  -  back to the Galleries 



Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com

All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The Arkenstone

Powered by http://mineralwebsites.com
Mineral Specimens by species; or by specimen id.