|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Literally the week before the Denver show, as luck would have it,
miners struck another specimen pocket at the Ojuela Mine. This mine
had given up only a handful of (generally insignificant) wulfenites in
decades, and now we seem to have hit a "pipe" of pockets with
beautiful wulfenites , some with dark mimetite; and of a really
different style than had ever been found before in nearly 50 years of
awareness of specimens from this locality. This pocket is a
continuation of the seam we saw first produce wulfenite back in
January (and which I have posted elsewhere on this site under the NEW
FINDS page). However, the style in this pocket seems to be less of the
unusual bipyramidal crystallization, but rather with more crystals of
a sharp, rectangular or pseudocubic form that looks more
machine-carved than nature-made. Again, as with the first pocket back
in January, some few specimens occur with unusual dark green
mimetite. Overall, this pocket has produced more specimens of an
aesthetic bend, compared to the previous pocket which , while quite
significant for the locality and for the crystal habit, produced far
fewer specimens with good aesthetics (although far more specimens in
total). It seems that the total production of this pocket was about
much less in quantity, and yielded only perhaps 200 "good" specimens
of miniature or larger, of which i bought 90% (so far as I know) and
present a selection here.
I will soon be posting a selection of 30-40 very good quality, $100 to $250 specimens from this same
pocket, so stay tuned!
WULFD-02 - Wulfenite with Mimetite - £ 970 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 6.6 x 3.5 x 3.2 cm
This specimen is not only aesthetic, it also incorporates the best assemblage of species for a Mapimi wulfenite. A rich, gossany, limonite matrix gives way to a superb, botryoidal, translucent , green mimetite crust upon which are perched isolated crystals of lustrous and translucent, pseudocubic, butterscotch-colored wulfenite to .9 cm in length. The presence of a fine quality mimetite on the limonite is not common, and this piece really is rich in it.
WULFD-03 - Wulfenite with Mimetite - £ 808 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 8.7 x 7.5 x 3.6 cm
Bi-pyramidal, lustrous and translucent, unusually elongate wulfenite crystals, to 2 cm in length have grown in a jackstraw pattern. These crystals are in turn emplaced on a crust of botryoidal, translucent, green mimetite. The matrix is an ocherous, gossany, limonite. Very nice contrast of not only color, but of the form of the sharp angular wulfenite on rounded matrix! No damage except for one crystal near the top left edge (which can be trimmed off in any case)
WULFD-04 - Wulfenite - £ 614 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi Durango Mexico small cabinet, 9.0 x 6.1 x 4.2 cm
An unusually aesthetic, 3-dimensional disco-ball of wulfenite hangs at one end of this specimen! pseudocubic, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored, wulfenite crystals, to to .8 cm in length, festoon a limonite matrix. I especially like the cluster or rosette of crystals perched high on the matrix. It gives the piece an elgance, that most of these specimens simply do not have.
WULFD-05 - Wulfenite - £ 388 San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi Durango Mexico small cabinet, 5.6 x 4.3 x 3.1 cm
Pseudocubic, elongated, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, to 1.25 cm in length, are perched on and around a knob of ocherous, gossany, limonite. This specimen also has a few clusters, to .6 cm across of unusual lustrous calcite. Aesthetic overall, it is nearly pristine with just a very few minor damaged crystals.
WULFD-06 - Wulfenite with mimetite (2 pockets on the same specimen) - £ 485 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi Durango Mexico small cabinet, 7.6 x 6.4 x 6.3 cm
WORDS AND PICS DO NOT CONVEY IT - THESE ARE THE GEMMIEST and MOST LUSTROUS CRYSTALS OF THIS STYLE HERE! A vuggy, ocherous, limonite, matrix is host to two vugs, deep cavities both of which are nearly coated with pseudocubic, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, to .6 cm in length. Some areas are underlain by lustrous and translucent, botryoids of green mimetite. In person, this is a really interesting piece with lots of ways to look at it. And with the 3-dimensionality, its very impressive in person.
WULFD-07 - Wulfenite with Mimetite - £ 388 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico cabinet, 10.2 x 6.6 x 2.5 cm
A really aesthetic piece where the crystals literally seem to "Pop" out at you due to the overall form of the specimen. An ocherous, limonite matrix is the host for a thin crust of lustrous and translucent, green mimetite and lustrous and translucent, pseudocubic, caramel colored, isolated crystals of wulfenite, to .8 cm (on edge). The placement of the crystals, somethign about it, makes it look as if they curve out at you.
WULFD-08 - Wulfenite with Calcite - £ 776 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi Durango Mexico cabinet, 12.2 x 6.9 x 3.4 cm
Due to teh fragile nature of the matrix, few good larger specimens in thsi quality could be extracted. Sharp pseudocubic crystals of lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored wulfenite, to 1.0 cm in length cover much of the matrix. A few of the wulfenite crystals are doubly terminated. Adding color contrast are unusually silky/lustrous, white calcite crystals to .25 cm across. Sawed on the bottom, so it sits flat for display - but very much more 3-dimensional in person than it seems. This large specimen is nearly pristine, too.
WULFD-09 - Wulfenite - £ 485 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico cabinet, 10.0 x 6.9 x 3.9 cm
A matrix of stark contrasting gossan hosts over a dozen crystals, some doubly terminated,, of bi-pyramidal, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored, wulfenite, to 1.75 cm in length. I particularly like the two crystals that have formed a wide "V". The bipyramidal form is highly developed here and the crystals large for the habit.
WULFD-10 - Wulfenite with Calcite and Mimetite - £ 631 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 5.9 x 3.6 x 2.7 cm
This aesthetic specimen contains four mineral species. An ocherous, limonite is covered by lustrous, rhombohedral, silky/pearlescent-white crystals of calcite to .3 cm across, which give way to a small area of lustrous and translucent, botryoidal green mimetite. Emplaced on top are several, isolated lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, measuring 1.5 cm in length. Elegant specimen with not only isoaltion of the wulfenites (unusual for the find) but isolation of those same wulfenites on CONTRASTING matrix that look sas if snow fell upon it, to hihglight with color contrast both teh brown matrix and the butterscotch crystals on it. The intergrowth with green mimetite is a bonus. This is simply one of my favorite pieces, period!
WULFD-11 - Wulfenite with Calcite - £ 550 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico miniature, 5.5 x 3.3 x 2.6 cm
Two, isolated, pseudocubic, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, to 1.3 cm across are emplaced on an ocherous, limonite matrix. There are also a few crystals of pearly-lustrous, white, calcite, measuring .2 cm across. The stark form and isolation of these crystals is amazing, and it is a very fine specimen. The price is higher than it might be otherwise because the crystals are, in person, so robust and fat that they glow with color and just leap out compared to other specimens in this pocket, to a degree hard to explain except in person.
WULFD-12 - Wulfenite with Calcite - £ 194 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 9.2 x 5.3 x 2.5 cm
Isolated, pseudocubic , crystals of lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored, wulfenite, to.9 cm in length, color contrast nicely with a few sharp disc-shaped (rhomdohedral) crystals of, lustrous, white calcite, to .75 cm across. All of these crystals are emplaced on contrasting deep brown limonite for stunning contrast. This piece may have the best calcites of hte pocket, from what I see...they are brilliantly white, almost pearlescent and silky in lustre. It is very interesting, as a Mapimi specimen...but also just for the elegant contrasts in and of themselves.
WULFD-13 - Wulfenite - £ 259 SOLD San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 7.4 x 6.3 x 3.3 cm
A contrasting, limonite matrix is the host for a bit of botryoidal, mimetite and several classically crystallized, lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, to 1.0 cm in length. They are sharply pseudocubic, an effect heightended by their translucence. The piece is very colorful and fine overall, with just a small spot of damage in the upper-right corner to bring it down from double this price as originally estimated when I made my hasty valuations and had to decide to buy this pocket on the spot at 1 AM one morning.
WULFD-14 - Wulfenite with Mimetite - £ 1164 San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 9.3 x 5.0 x 3.7 cm
Nestled on contrasting limonite is a carpet of olive green mimetite upon which are HUGE bi-pyramidal, lustrous, translucent crystals of butterscotch-colored wulfenite in crystals to 2.0 cm in length. The impact is very strikign in person and these ar emamong the largest crystals I have seen from either recent find. The setting on the carpet of green mimetite, for a 3-color contrast, really makes this piece leap out visually.
WULFD-15 - Wulfenite with Calcite - £ 226 San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico small cabinet, 9.2 x 6.4 x 3.3 cm
This plate of lustrous and translucent, butterscotch-colored crystals of wulfenite, to 1.0 cm in length, exhibit tapered, but blunt-capped tips. Very aesthetic and sparkly specimen, overall, with minor calcite accents in white at the base of some crystals.
WULFD-16 - Wulfenite - £ 388 San Juan Poniente Shaft,, Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico miniature, 4.2 x 3.0 x 2.7 cm
A stunning minaiture of contrasting matrix of limonite totally festooned with lustrous, gemmy crystals of butterscotch-colored wulfenite, to 1.25 cm in length. A few of the wulfenite crystals are also doubly terminated.
All Content and Design ©1996-2010 The ArkenstoneBy-species Galleries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
