SKS1 Amethyst, Calcite

Artigas, Artigas Dept., Uruguay

10.6x 6.5x 6.5 cm

$1700

Uruguay produces literally tons of amethyst every year; in fact, some individual specimens weigh tons.  The same mines that produce the many geodes and endless wholesale specimens however, once in a while produce beautiful oddities like this.

From the look of it, there was an original calcite crystal that was overgrown by amethyst, over which additional calcite crystals grew.

This is a very pretty display specimen… what else can I say?

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS2 Vivianite, Pyrite

Huanuni Mine, Delance Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

8.4x 5.0x 3.0 cm

$1400

A classic Bolivian vivianite form the Huanuni mine.  In the words of another dealer, this is what Bolivian vivianite looked like before the 2004 Tomokoni Adit find made collectors accustomed to pointy crystals with sandstone matrixes.

Crystals like this remain rare.  This one is damage free and terminated, lacking any of the chips or nicks that are virtually always present on these specimens.  It is quite sizable as well, and is beautifully perched on a pyrite plate.

Huanuni is one of three "classic" Bolivian vivianite localities, the other two being Llallagua and Morococala.

This is a beautiful specimen, an example of material that does not come up for sale often in this size and quality.  I personally don’t think that the newer specimens, with their sandstone matrixes, compare to these older pieces.  I would estimate that this piece dates to the 1970’s, at least.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS3 Amethyst cast after Calcite

Iraí, Alto Uruguai region, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

11.5x 11.0x 11.0 cm

$850

Here’s another odd amethyst, this one from Brazil.  This specimen is an amethyst cast after Calcite.  The whole thing is hollow, and retains the shape of the original calcite crystal.  I never bother purchasing the geodes and amethyst plates…. But every once in a while something really unusual gets offered.  There's a tiny bit of bruising on the tip (see closeup).

This is the same area that is best known for producing the amethyst "flowers" and some very nice  calcite clusters.

Click on pictures to see larger images

The Mundo Nuevo mine has recently started producing Huebnerite, however in the 1980’s the Pasto Bueno District (in which Mundo Nuevo is located) also produced a number of world class huebnerites.  This is one of those older pieces, and certainly one of the heftiest huebnerites that I have seen for sale.  The Huebnerite is actually a large spray of crystals, and I can see only one place where any terminations are missing (see top right side of close up image)

Pasto Bueno has arguably produced the world’s best Huebnerite, though most crystals top off at a few cm.  I have seen a few large specimens from recent finds at Tucson '09 and '10, but these tend to have much more damage, and be jumbled masses of crystals.

Sorry for the unorthodox backgrounds... between the dark huebnerite, white quartz, and various reflections it was hard to find a background that allowed it to be photographed properly... wood was just right.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS5 Alabandite, Rhodochrosite, Fluorite

Uchucchacua Mine, Oyon Prov., Lima Dept., Peru

8.7x 5.6x 2.7 cm

Alabandite is manganese sulfide.  While it is known from many localities, crystallized specimens are known from only a couple, and specimens are exceedingly rare.  The best have come from Uchucchacua, and decades ago from Sacarimb, Romania.  Those from other localities (Broken Hill, NSW being the most prominent) tend to be ugly aggregates.

This specimen is one of only a few discovered in 2008.  It is not known how often alabandite is encountered at Uchucchacua, because unlike the (obviously valuable, more visible) silver wires and rhodochrosites, things like this are easily missed and wind up in the crusher.

This is the best piece from the lot, and certainly one of the finest specimens of the species known.  The alabandite is also associated with pale Rhodochrosite and minor colorless fluorite.

The largest crystal is a twin, and measures approximately 21 mm.

When it turns up, alabandite is not a mineral that can usually be considered a display specimen, but this piece is world class. 

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS6 Alabandite, Rhodochrosite

Uchucchacua Mine, Oyon Prov., Lima Dept., Peru

8.5x 6.5x 2.8 cm

Alabandite is manganese sulfide.  While it is known from many localities, crystallized specimens are known from only a couple, and specimens are exceedingly rare.  The best have come from Uchucchacua, and decades ago from Sacarimb Romania.  Those from other localities (Broken Hill, NSW being the most prominent) tend to be ugly aggregates.

This specimen is one of only a few discovered in 2008.  It is not known how often alabandite is encountered at Uchucchacua, because unlike the (obviously valuable, more visible) silver wires and rhodochrosites, things like this are easily missed and wind up in the crusher.

This is one of the two best pieces from the lot, and certainly one of the finest specimens of the species known.  The alabandite is also associated with pale Rhodochrosite.

This specimen is unusually lustrous.

When it turns up, alabandite is not a mineral that can usually be considered a display specimen, but this piece is world class. 

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS7 Alabandite, Rhodochrosite

Uchucchacua Mine, Oyon Prov., Lima Dept., Peru

10.7x 4.0x 4.6 cm

$800

This cabinet specimen is one of only a few alabandites recovered from a world class find of the species made in 2008. 

There is some damage on the lower left quarter of the specimen, this piece could be trimmed in half to yield a damage free specimen.  Given the rarity of a good specimen of this mineral however, I felt it best to leave it intact. 

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS12 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

8.9x 6.0x 3.8 cm

$325

I had received several requests for more Peruvian realgar, but I had to wait to find a group of specimens that was satisfactory… they tend to be too damaged or have pseudomorphed too much into orpiment.

This is a cabinet specimen with a cluster of bright realgar crystals on matrix.  This find first surfaced around 4 years ago, and represents the best realgar to come from Peru.  Well crystallized orpiment has long been known to occur in Peru, but it was not until this find that the country produced good realgar.

This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS16 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

5.0x 4.8x 2.9 cm

$95

A cluster of bright red realgar crystals on a quartz and sphalerite matrix.

 This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS17 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

4.3x 2.5x 2.5 cm

$90

A cluster of bright red realgar crystals on a quartz and sphalerite matrix.

 This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS18 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

4.0x 3.4x 3.4 cm

$85

A cluster of bright red realgar crystals on a sphalerite matrix.

 This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS19 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

4.8x 2.5x 3.3 cm

$90

A cluster of bright red realgar crystals on a sphalerite matrix.

 This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS20 Realgar on Sphalerite, Quartz

Palomo Mine, Castrovirreina Prov., Huancavelica Dept., Peru

2.8x 2.3x 2.1 cm

$70

A cluster of bright red realgar crystals.

This locality and its realgars were featured in the March-April 2008 issue of the Mineralogical Record.

Click on pictures to see larger images

SKS22 Apatite on Quartz

Panasqueira, Covilhã, Castelo Branco District, Portugal

4.7x 2.5x 1.5 cm

$135

Here is a nice miniature specimen from a classic Portuguese locality, with a dark green apatite crystal perched on the termination of a smokey quartz crystal.  This piece must have grown against a rock face or something, because it is flat on the back (though damage free).

Click on pictures to see larger images