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GOL04 - Gold "Christmas Tree" - $13000 Mockingbird Mine, Mariposa County, California miniature, 4.6 x 3.9 x 1.2 cm
An incredibly elegant piece with sharp crystallography, with real crystals and not the "crystalline" style found most often in California. This is a dramatic, arborescent-looking specimen that just has so much character for the size, it stands out even among larger and pricier golds.
VLT-52 - PROUSTITE - $11500 Chanarcillo, Chile (mined circa 1900, label dated 1910) miniature, 5.5 x 4 x 2.25 cm
CLASSIC ruby silver, mined in the late 1800s in Chanarcillo! A very showy specimen showcasing rare individualized crystals of proustite on matrix, in itself also rare as most are on massive lumpy proustite. Here we have real matrix of calcite crystals and rock. Also, as a bonus, a VERY nice old label! This specimen, with crystals to 1.5 cm, is beautiful from both sides. The proustite has great color and lustre. There is some damage, unfortunately, but that is why its not 50k as well. Its all in context. Overall, though, I feel this is a very good cost-compromise in that you get a large specimen with freestanding crystals, matrix, color and lustre without breaking the bank to do so. Such pieces are uncommon, in any event.
VLT-53 - Tourmaline with Quartz on Cleavelandite - $65000 SOLD Pederneira Mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil (mined 2005) cabinet, 13 x 12 x 9 cm (5 inches across)
Modern Art in minerals, I call this one... The sparkling brilliantly white Cleavelandite provides a stunning matrix for the gemmy rocket-like tourmalines, and a host of smaller tourmaliens dotting the backside as well. An elongated, gemmy , clear quarts crystal runs along the front horizon, providing a dramatic front view leading the eye up to the tourmalines and away from a normally boring bottom periphery (which it is not here, in other words!.
den07-05 - Smithsonite (2 generations) - $32500 Kelly Mine, Magdalena, Socorro County, New Mexico cabinet, 23.5 x 15.2 x 12.8 cm (11 inches across) ex. William Greiger
WOW. I have simply never seen such a large Kelly Mine piece, preserved! And it is not only preserved , but its GOOD as well. The piece is complete all around, 360 degrees, and is a wonderful, classic blue color. It consists of two generations: the underlaying and more common botryoidal, rounded smithsonite; and a thin layer atop of actual CRYSTALS, rare from the locality. We call these "rice grain" smithsonites, as they are somewhat rounded, but this is what you get here, rarely, and there is more crystallized smithsonite on this specimen than I have seen on all others combined, passing through my hands over the years. This is from the personal collection of dealer WM Greiger, which was purchased recently by Pala Intl. It was likely obtained in the 1950s-1960s by him though mined probably even earlier as the richness is amazing and unlike later pockets hit here; and I regard it as a highly, HIGHLY significant US classic.
D06-243 - Huge 2-inch, Complete, Emerald Crystal - SOLD Muzo Mine, Boyaca Dept., Colombia miniature, 5 x 3 x 2.5 cm (65 grams or approx. 325
MORE GEMMY in person, please note! This large crystal weighs in at over 300 carats and is complete all around, terminated and with GLASSY lustre on ALL faces. The color is intense! VERY FEW Colombian emeralds reach sizes of this magnitude, and of those a vanishingly small percentage survive "geology" itself in the form of crystals we would want as collectors after millions of years in the ground. Then, they have to survive mining, extraction, and those ruthless jewelers and faceters who break up lovely crystals for a sliver of rough inside. Can you imagine the value on the lapidary market, particularly in Asia and in the auction houses, of a huge emerald bird or buddha carved from this thing?! I have seen lapidary carvings from previous gem crystals sell for fortunes, more than we would ever pay as a specimen. Thankfully, this crystal has a kinder fate. This is a phenomenal crystal that is obviously somethng significant...and fine, as well. There IS a difference, and the line is not fuzzy at all with this specimen.
Den07-28 - Stibnite - $23500 Wuling Antimony Mine, Wuning Co., Jiujiang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, China large cabinet, 21.2 x 11.5 x 6.2 cm
An exquisite cluster from mining about 3-4 years ago that have by all acknowledgements produced the finest stibnites in the world since the ancient Japanese finds, now long gone. These brilliantly metallic crystals are so sharp and lustrous, they look machined. This particular specimen is one of the more robust clusters I have seen, with broad, fat crystals to 1 inch wide, in an elegant spray. It has the most trivial damage possible for such a large and exposed piece, and none of any significance. I looked through thousands of these, much of the find, and this was one of my favorite picks at ANY price and size range. Also, most of these are too large, if they are of any quality. This one is an excellent size for most collections, not too large, not too spindly-looking.
VLT-25 - Tourmaline var. Rubellite - $35000 SOLD Paprok, Nuristan, Afghanistan cabinet, 11.6 x 7.5 x 7.3 cm (5 inches tall) ex. Dr. Eugene Meieran
A remarkable single crystal with much more elegance, due to its splaying form, than you would normally expect of a single large tourmaline. It is complete and nearly perfect all around, 3-Dimensional, and without repair. Note how the top of the piece elegantly splays out from the narrower base, making this less "lumpy" than many large tourmalines from the locale (and not many come out in this size, undamaged, to being with). It is extraordinarily translucent given the size, and practically GLOWS when backlit at all, a wonderful bubblegum pink color. These photos are not taken with anything but ordinary lighting. In person, or backlit in a case, it has a rich bubblegum pink hue that emanates from within. Inside, you can see from the top a "phantom" core of darker tourmaline within, which is an interesting bonus. Rare in such size and quality, at this price due to the fact I got it at a good deal in trade...A very good deal overall, on a giant rubellite, I would say. It weighs in at 1 kilo.
VLT-21 - Gold - $65000 Colorado Quartz Mine, Mariposa County, California small cabinet, 7.8 x 5.9 x 3.3 cm (3 inches tall)
Just incredible....hefty , 3-dimensional, very impactful gold. Leaps out from matrix. And has a huge weight to it. This is from the Colorado Quartz Mine, and is a piece that came out in the late 90s and was sold privately at that time. It weighs a hefty 300 grams. it is no slender tower of thin gold like Eagles Nest Mine golds you have seen. It is fat, thick, and 3-dimensional. This mine sets the standard fo rCalifornia gold, most people think, for this reason. It is NOT fragile or slender: Most golds this size would have a third the heft. This is mostly gold, and just a bit of quartz at the matrix base as a natural pedestal. I believe the price to be pretty fair, given the weight and the size and quality overall. As with my other Vault pieces, its one i would 100% agree in writing to take back, anytime, no questions asked, for open credit on anything else.
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