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MINERAL SPECIMENS FOR DISPLAY

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Gold - Anvil Creek, Cape Nome, Seward Peninsula, Alaska
From the L. Sofia Gold collection, this hefty placer nugget is from the early 1900’s placer mining activities at Anvil Creek, a historic Gold mining site on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. 
Order Item MI-1285
Specimen size:  1 3/4” long (47 mm),  5/8” wide (16 mm), and up to 5/8” (16 mm) thick
Weight:  104.3 grams (3.36 troy ounces)
Price:  $3800.  SOLD


 
Pyrite – Bacino Mine, Rio Marina, Isola de Elba, Italy – Large single crystal.
Order Item No. MI-1262
Specimen size:  2 ¼ X 1 ¾ X 1 3/4
Price:  $75.
 


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Pyrite with Quartz – Alimon Mine, San Jose de Hyayllay District, Cerro de Pasco Province, Pasco Dept., Peru

Order Item No. MI-1268A
Pyrite cubes to ¾” across, Quartz xls. to ¾” tall. 
Specimen size:  5 ½ X 4 3/8 X  1 ¾”
Price:  $225.

Order Item No. MI-1268B
B. Pyrite cubes to 5/8” and near ¾” across, needle Quartz xls. to 1” tall
Specimen size:  5 X 4 ¼ X 1 3/8”
Price:  $275


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B.

Pyrite – Navajun, Logrono Region, La Rioja Province, Spain –  The largest Pyrite cube is 1 1/8” X 1 1/8”.  The host rock (matrix) is marl, which has been analyzed as more than 50% clay (type not specified in the analysis) and at least 15% calcium carbonate, i.e., either Calcite or Aragonite.

Order Item No. MI-1270A
Specimen size:  4 ¾ X 3 5/8 X  2 ¼”
Price:  $80

Order Item No. MI-1270B
Specimen size: 3 7/8 X 2 7/8 X  2 3/8”
Price:  $65


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Quartz – Amethyst – Anahi Mine, Santa Cruz, Bolivia – Large single crystal.

Order Item No. MI-1269A
Specimen size:  4 ¼ X 3 X 2 ¼”
Price:  $225

Order Item No. MI-1269B
Specimen size:  3 3/4 X 3 1/8 X 2 5/8”
Price:  $195
 
Quartz – State of Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil - Agate Geode with drusy Quartz xls., both halves polished on the surface
Order Item No. MI-1261
Specimen size:  Pair – Left side is 4 7/8 X 2 ¾ X 1 ¾”.  Right side is 4 5/8 X 2 ¾ X 1 ½”
Price:  $60. / pair


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Quartz – Amethyst – State of Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil – Several nice display specimens available, priced according to the specimen size and size of crystals.  All are sections from the interiors of very large, geode-like formations.
Order Item No. MI-1267A
Specimen size:  4 5/8 X 2 ¼ X 1 ¼”
Price:  $30.

Order Item No. MI-1267B.
Specimen size:  4 X 3 3/8 X 1 ¼”
Price:  $40. SOLD

Order Item No. MI-1267C
Specimen size:  3 ¼ X 3 ¼ X 1 ¾”
Price:  $35.  SOLD

Order Item No. MI-1267D
Specimen size:  7 ¾ X  4 3/8  X 2 1/8”
Price:  $90.

Order Item No. MI-1267E
Specimen size:  10 X 7 ½ X 1 ¾
Price:  $150 SOLD
Quartz “Herkimer Diamond” – Middleville, Herkimer County, New York – Two large, magnificent water clear xls. are in a group, no matrix.
Order Item No. MI-1272
Specimen size:  2 ½ X 1 ½ X 1”
Price:  $175
Quartz with Montmorillonite and Rutile inclusions – Skalistyi Mine, Polar Urals, Russia – Large double terminated Quartz xl. with inclusions of pale pink Montmorillonite on the right end, and hair-like golden Rutile needles on the left end.  All faces of the Quartz xl. have been polished so the inclusions can be clearly observed.  The associated Montmorillonite might also be of interest because it is in the clay minerals group.
Order Item No.  MI-073A
Specimen size:  5 ¾ X 3 1/8 X 3”
Price:  $225.
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ELBAITE TOURMALINE, LEPIDOLITE
Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, San Diego County, California
A very nice single crystal, this specimen is from one of California’s best known localities for Elbaite Tourmaline, recently obtained from the collection of Lorraine Sofia of Daly City, CA.  The Elbaite crystal is 2 1/8” tall, and 1 1/8” X 1” in cross section, without matrix. The termination is intact, well defined, with a very slight contact point on one edge.  The lower portion of the crystal is accentuated by several light lavender color clusters of crystallized Lepidolite.  Most of the Lepidolite was deposited on the front of the Elbaite crystal, with only one Lepidolite crystal cluster on the back of the specimen.   A very interesting feature of the growth of this crystal is the natural bending and re-healing plane exhibited as a very pale pink zone near the base of the specimen on the left side of the photo.  This feature is more obvious on the back of the crystal.  This process is described in the “Mineralogical Record”, Vol. 8, No. 6 (California issue), P. 472, illustrated in Fig. 18.  The result is that the base of the crystal is slightly offset from the natural inclination of the prism faces to be parallel.  Additional information on the Himalaya Mine appears in the “MR”, Vol. 16, No. 5, (Tourmaline special issue), P. 419-424, and in Vol. 33, No. 5, (California Pegmatites special issue), P. 390-396.
Specimen size:  2 1/8” tall, 1 1/8” X 1” in cross section.  88.40 grams
Order Item MI-1582
Price:  $400.

Quartz with Pyrite – Huaron, Ancash Dept., Peru – Group of numerous “needle” Quartz xls. with several cubic Pyrite xls. associated.  The longest Quartz xl. is 1 3/8”, and the Pyrite xls. are up to nearly ½” across.
Order Item No. MI-1257
Specimen size:   3 X 2 ½ X  1 ½”
Price:  $60
SOLD


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Quartz – Amethyst – Artigas, Uruguay – Both specimens are sections of large, geode-like formations.  From this locality, these very special specimens have knobby projections of matrix, protruding into the hollow openings in the geodes, and these knobby projections are covered with Amethyst crystals.  Item B. only has small white Calcite xls. associated.

Order Item No. MI-1278A
Specimen size:  3 ½ X 2 ½ X 2 ¼”
Price:  $110.

Order Item No. MI-1278B
Specimen size:  4 ½ X 3 3/8 X 2 ½”
Price:  $150. SOLD
Calcite – Karoly Mine, Gyongyosoroszi, Hungary – Attractive white crystal group.
Order Item No. MI-1252
Specimen size:  3 3/8 X 3 3/8 X  1 3/8”
Price:  $95 
SOLD
Dolomite – Eugui, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain – Group of large translucent / colorless xls.
Order Item No. MI-1271
Specimen size:   1 ½ X 1 ¼ X 1 1/8”
Price:  $60
 


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Back

Corundum Var. Ruby with Zoisite Var. Chrome Zoisite
Longido, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
Hexagonal, bright red-pink Ruby crystal section measuring 3 1/2”X 3” across, surrounded by bright green Chrome Zoisite matrix.  The thickness of the crystal is unknown, since the back of the crystal is completely embedded in the Chrome-Zoisite matrix.
UV fluorescence (Ruby only): 
SW UV:  dull, dark red
LW UV:  intense, dark red
Specimen size:  5 1/4” X 4” across, X up to 2 3/8” thick
Gram weight:  1,791 grams
Order Item MI-1461
Price:  $325.00


MI-1429

Close up

OPAL Var. Hyalite Opal (“Glass Opal”)  Squaretop Mountain, near Dalby, Southeast Queensland, Australia
This large display quality specimen is a section of volcanic basalt matrix upon which has formed a profusion of  colorless, globular to botryoidal droplets and interesting formations of  water clear Hyalite Opal, also known as “Glass Opal”. 
Moderate greenish-yellow fluorescence under shortwave ultraviolet.  The rock matrix along one edge of the specimen has been sawed, so it will stand upright in proper orientation for display. 
Specimen size:  15 1/2” long, and 9 1/2” wide (area of the surface of the specimen covered by the botryoidal Hyalite Opal), X  3” to 4 1/2” thick.
Order Item: MI-1429
Price:  $375.
 

Manganite
Ilfeld, Nordhausen, Harz Mountains, Thuringia, Germany
Shiny black prismatic, terminated Manganite crystals completely cover the top-front of this specimen, from one of Europe’s best known localities for crystallized Manganite.  The matrix is solid black Manganite with rounded, concave forms covering the base of the specimen, as though the Manganite was deposited on top of an earlier mineral with a botryoidal surface.  No rock matrix.  The largest Manganite crystal is 3/4” long (21 mm) X 1/4” wide (7 mm).  From the collection of Dr. Wayne J. A. Walton.
Specimen size:  2 3/4” X 2” across, X 1 7/8” thick
Order item MI-1438
Price:  $550.00

Gypsum with Malachite, Brochantite, Linarite – Blanchard Mine, Socorro Co., New Mexico  - The Gypsum is colored pale green by inclusions of Malachite.
Order Item No. MI-1277
Specimen size:  3 ½ X 3 ¼ X 3”
Price:  $35

Fluorite on Sphalerite
Elmwood Mine, near Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee
A single, extra sharp, medium purple color Fluorite cube 1 3/4” X 1 1/2” across has multiple stepped faces on each of the large cube faces.   At the base of the Fluorite cube, the matrix is composed of many intergrown, highly lustrous, dark brown Sphalerite crystals.  No rock matrix.  Very nice specimen!!!
Specimen size:  2 3/4” X 12 1/2” across, X 2” thick
Order Item MI-1440
Price:  $145.00  SOLD

Anhydrite – Naica, Municipio de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico – Beautifully terminated, large single crystal, no matrix.  Very minor Pyrite is associated.
Order Item No. MI-1253
Specimen size:  3” tall, 1 ½” wide, near 3/8” thick
Price:  $65
SOLD

Chalcocite
Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford County, Connecticut

This specimen consists of a vein of massive black Chalcocite up to 1 1/2” thick, intergrown with very small amounts of white Calcite and Quartz, resting upon a matrix of what appears to be off-white color massive Quartz and Muscovite.  The entire top of the specimen is covered with more than 25 metallic black Chalcocite crystals, standing up on edge as well as lying down flat upon the massive Chalcocite.  The Chalcocite crystals range in size from micro, up to 1/4”.  Note that the top and parts of the sides of the specimen have a secondary deposition of crystalline and small crystals of white Calcite which is in natural condition, i.e., the Calcite has not been etched.  Scattered micro Quartz crystals are also present.  Background information: commercial mining began in 1837 at this historic Eastern USA Copper mine, and was carried on until 1953.   Please refer to the “Mineralogical Record” magazine, Vol. 32, No. 5, P. 433 for additional information on the locality.  This specimen is most recently from the collection of Dr. Wayne J. A. Walton.  Dr. Walton purchased the specimen from an estate sale in the late 1960’s.  This specimen is reported to have been collected in the late 1800’s.  Several other specimens purchased at the same time, from the same old collection, had labels from A. E. Foote, however, the original label for this specimen did not survive.  All that remains is a small white paper tag affixed to the back of the matrix -- specimen number 90.
Specimen size:  4 5/8” long, 2 1/4” wide (the area of the surface of the specimen, with Chalcocite xls.), X 2” thick
Order Item MI-1448
Price:  $300.00

Orthoclase Var. Adularia – Val Cristallina, Medel, Grisons (Graubunden), Switzerland – Large white twinned xl. is 3” across.  The pale gray area in the center of the main large xl. is a small group of Adularia xls. with a slight shadow on them, protruding directly out of the front of the large crystal.  Minor pale green Chlorite is associated, and a small amount of matrix on the back of the specimen.
Order Item No. MI-1247C
Specimen size:  3 X  2 1/8 X 1 3/8”
Price:  $95
   
Montmorillonite – Boron Mine, Boron, Kern Co., California – Pure massive, pale pink.
Order Item No. MI-1274
Specimen size:  3 ¼ X 1 7/8 X 1 3/8”
Price:  $24.50


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Talc with Actinolite – Wrightwood, San Bernardino Co., CA – Pale green to light silver-gray color Talc with dark green crystalline Actinolite, no matrix.

Order Item No. MI-1276A
Specimen size:   5 ¾ X 2 5/8 X 2 ½”
Price:  $40.

Order Item No. MI-1276B
Specimen size:  7 ¼ X 4 X 2”
Price:  $85
Scheelite, Muscovite
Mt.  Xuebaoding, Pingwu Co., Mianyang Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China
Several very sharp, translucent, orange-tan color octahedral crystals of Scheelite are perched on top of Muscovite crystal covered matrix.  Very nice display specimen, with excellent UV fluorescence.   The three largest octahedral Scheelite crystals each measure 2” and greater.
UV fluorescence: 
SW UV:  bright blue-white
LW UV:  light tan
Order item MI-1463
Price:  $450.00

OBSIDIAN, CRISTOBALITE, FAYALITE
Glass Mountain, near Coso Hot Springs, Inyo County, California
This locality has been known since the late 19th century.  The earliest report of this occurrence for Obsidian with Cristobalite inclusions was published in a paper in the Geological Society London Quarterly Journal by F. Rutley in 1890.  Shiny black Obsidian has spheroidal openings which have been filled with light gray Cristobalite.  With magnification of 20-30X, tiny white Cristobalite crystals can be seen lining the openings in the spheroids of massive Cristobalite.  Several tabular crystals of brown Fayalite (+/- 1 mm size) are scattered over the insides of the spheroids of Cristobalite.  This occurrence has been “off limits” to collecting for many years, within the boundaries of a military base.
Specimen size:  4 1/4” tall, 3 3/8” wide, and up to 1 1/2” thick
Order Item MI-1437
Price:  $60.00

Muscovite – Stak Nala, Gilgit Division, Pakistan – Large cleavage of light smoky gray color Muscovite, no matrix or associated minerals.
Order Item No. MI-1259
Specimen size:  6 X 4 ¼” across, X approx. 5 mm thick
Price:  $45
Muscovite (Sericite) pseudo after (replacing) Leucite – Hamitkoy Area, Kaman, Kirshehir, Turkey – Slightly off-white color massive Kaolinite is replacing a small “softball” size Leucite crystal.  Fully terminated, no matrix.
Order Item No. MI-1255
Specimen size:  2 7/8 X 2 5/8 X  2 ½”
Price:  $35 
SOLD

Calcite – NBHC Mine, Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia – Light pink crystallized, drusy Calcite has been deposited as a secondary coating, upon larger individual, primary growth Calcite crystals.  The two largest original, primary growth Calcite crystals are each 1 ½” across.  Fluorescent light pink.
Order Item MI-1281
Specimen size:  4 ¼ X 2 ½ X 2 3/8”
Price:  $60.

Calcite – Challenger Mine, Nuevo Leon State, Mexico – Impressive, very large size, display quality cleavage rhomb of translucent, light pink Calcite.  Fluorescent pink. 
Order Item No. MI-1282
Specimen size:  6 X 4 1/8 X 2 3/8”
Price:  $144.
SOLD

Calcite – Tsumeb, Namibia – Group of rhombohedral xls. on matrix.
Order Item No. MI-1265
Specimen size:  3 ½ X 2 7/8  X  1 ¾”
Price:  $65
Calcite Var. Manganocalcite – Wessels Mine, Northern Cape Province, South Africa – Very pale pink crystal group.
Order Item No. MI-1266
Specimen size:  3 ¼ X 2 3/8 X 1 1/8”
Price:  $45

 

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