These rocks are the reason that I love Bolivian minerals. They do not have the glamour of the phosphophyllites, the amertines, or the vauxites, but these minerals are resource on which Bolivia was built. More than that, they provide a nearly endless source of rare and interesting material, some of which I was lucky enough to acquire.

To see images of some of the localities where these minerals came from, check out Frank de Witt and Alfredo Petrov's website, Mineral Travel.

BV4 Andorite with Jamesonite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

9.1x 5.1x 2.7 cm

$400

A very rare matrix specimen of andorite. The crystal is complete, lustrous, and measures 2.1 cm. The second aggregate may either be andorite or another sulfosalt. Underneath the andorite is a mass of hairy jamesonite.

This is a very dramatic specimen, with the andorite perched aesthetically on the edge of its matrix.

BSU9 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

10.1x 5.6x 3.4 cm

A very rare, and very rich matrix andorite, with several crystals on matrix. It is difficult to focus on the crystals, because they rise straight of the specimen.

It is very unusual to find so much andorite on one piece. Also, the matrix contains a lot of what I believe to be jamesonite.

There are more imbedded andorites visible on the reverse.

BSU2 Andorite with Jamesonite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

6.3x 5.1x 1.6 cm

$275

A very rare matrix specimen of andorite on pyrite. The andorite is complete, and damage free. The crystal is unusually thick given its length.

SAA5 Andorite with Stannite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

4.5x 3.5x 2.0 cm

$485

This one was actually purchased in the US. You may remember the old stash of andorites that resurfaced about 2 years ago.

This specimen is unique in that its association with another rare sulfosalt (stannite), has actually improved the overall aesthetics of the piece.

BSU3 Andorite on Jamesonite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

3.4x 2.0x 2.1 cm

$145

A very rare matrix specimen andorite, this time with the crystal occurring on jamesonite The crystal has no damage-- the fracture on the left side is natural. If it had happened during extraction, it would have a bright luster, but the dull surface indicates it happened naturally, and had a looong time to oxidize.

BSU4 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

3.2x 2.5x 1.1 cm

$175

A complete, double terminated andorite crystal hosting a single rounded stannite. An excellent specimen of this rare lead silver antimony sulfide.

BSU5 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

4.0x 2.2x 1.3 cm

$200

A complete, double terminated andorite crystal, of a rather large size All in all, an excellent small miniature of this rare lead silver antimony sulfide.

Interestingly enough, it seems to have a number of smaller, also double terminated andorites perched on the main crystal.

BSU6 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

3.1x 2.2x 1.7 cm

$165

A complete, double terminated andorite crystal, of a rather large size All in all, an excellent small miniature of this rare lead silver antimony sulfide.

The crystals are thicker than most.

BSU7 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia

3.2x 2.5x 1.2 cm

$125

A complete, double terminated andorite crystal, of a rather large size All in all, an excellent small miniature of this rare lead silver antimony sulfide.

BSU8 Andorite, Stannite, Jamesonite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

2.8x 2.5x 1.1 cm

$78

These little ball clusters come from a new find. The specimens are a mixture of andorite crystals, stannite crystals, jamesonite and possibly other minerals.

BSU9 Andorite, Stanite, Jamesonite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

2.9x 2.3x 2.0 cm

$85

These little ball clusters come from a new find. The specimens are a mixture of andorite crystals, stannite crystals, jamesonite and possibly other minerals.

BSU10 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

2.1x 1.7x 0.6 cm

$100

A very interesting andorite, seemingly composed of multiple overlapping crystals, intergrown with minor zinkenite.

It i the only specimen that I obtained with this habit, and the only such piece I have ever seen.

BSU66 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

3.6x 2.3x 1.0 cm

$80

A rather large crystal of andorite. The piece has not been damaged--the break on the bottom occurred naturally (the fracture surface is dull. If it were broken during extraction the surface would be lustrous).

BSU67 Andorite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

2.4x 1.5x 0.4 cm

$39

A complete, double terminated specimen of andorite. Very rare stuff.

BSU13 Zinkenite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

4.1x 3.7x 2.3 cm

$85

A beautiful miniature specimen, consisting of a jackstraw cluster of fine zinkenite crystals. This specimen has a beautiful iridescence that is not very visible in the photographs.

BSU14 Zinkenite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia.

6.8x 5.3x 3.4 cm

$175

Another rare bolivian sulfosalt specimen, this one quite literally a cluster of clusters. Much more 3d than the usual zinkenite.

BSU15 Teallite

Carguaycollo Mine,, Quijarro Prov., Potosí Dept., Bolivia

4.9x 4.3x 3.3 cm

$145

A rare specimen of teallite, showing rich veins and cleavages of the sulfosalt running through their matrix.

This specimen is from the type locality.

BSU16 Cylindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

7.1x 5.0x 1.7 cm

$385

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt which gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders. This cabinet specimen is particularly rich, and consists of numerous sprays frozen in their matrix.

It was nearly impossible to acquire these things in Bolivia. I was told that the parts of the mine where the cylindrite was found had been flooded.

This is the best specimen I was able to acquire.

BSU17 Cyllindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

6.4x 4.4x 2.9 cm

$145

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU18 Cyllindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

5.7x 3.0x 3.5 cm

$135

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU19 Cyllindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

4.8x 3.8x 1.8 cm

$88

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU20 Cyllindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

4.4x 2.7x 1.2 cm

$85

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU21 Cylindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

8.3x 6.8x 4.4 cm

$185

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix. This is a very rich, fist-sized specimen.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU22 Cylindrite

San Francisco Mine, Poopó Town, Poopó Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

5.7x 4.6x 3.3 cm

$135

A rare specimen showing clear, elongated crystals of cylindrite frozen in their matrix.

Cylindrite is a rare sulfosalt, and an oddity in the mineral world. Cylindrite gets its name from its crystals, which are composed of sheets rolled into cylinders (!).

BSU23 Jeromite on Quartz

Kami Mine, Ayopaya Prov., Cochabamba Dept., Bolivia

2.9x 1.5x 1.0 cm

$135

A rare specimen of the arsenic-sulfide glass jeromite, coating quartz. Jeromite is a rare mineral related to realgar, but its lattice lacks the long range order of crystalline realgar.

Good examples are nearly impossible to obtain, and these specimens from the Kami Mine are particularly suited to collections, as the quartz crystal gives them some shape.

BSU24 Metastibnite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia

6.9x 5.0x 3.8 cm

$185

A few years ago there was an exceptional find of metastibnite at the San Jose Mine. Metastibnite is usually not found as anything more than reddish smears, however this find produced some of the best examples of the species ever recovered,. This specimen has rich botryoidal crusts of the mineral.

I was fortunate to find this and the following specimen in Tucson, particularly as none has been found since that one time find.

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BSU25 Metastibnite

San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia

5.4x 3.4x 3.9 cm

$135

A few years ago there was an exceptional find of metastibnite at the San Jose Mine. Metastibnite is usually not found as anything more than reddish smears, however this find produced some of the best examples of the species ever recovered. This specimen has rich botryoidal crusts of the mineral.

I was fortunate to find this specimen in Tucson, particularly as none has been found since that one time find.

BSU26 Tungstite

Cercado Prov., Oruro Dept., Bolivia

6.1x 4.6x 1.8 cm

$135

A very rare cabinet specimen of yellow tungstite, a tungsten hydroxide, on a matrix of wolframite.

BSU27 Tungstite, Ferberite, Pyrite

Tasna Mine, Cerro Tasna, Atocha-Quechisla Dist., Nor Chichas Prov., Potosi Dept., Bolivia

4.3x 4.1x 3.7 cm

$165

A rare and unique specimen of tungstite, partially coating a pair of twinned ferberite crystals. There is also a glob of pyrite attached to the specimen.

BSU28 Krut'aite

El Dragon Mine, Quijarro Prov., Potosi Dept., Bolivia

2.6x 1.4x 0.8 cm

$75

A rare thumbnail specimen of this rare copper selenide from Bolivia. What more can I say?

BSU29 Krut'aite

El Dragon Mine, Quijarro Prov., Potosi Dept., Bolivia

2.9x 1.4x 1.4 cm

$85

A rare thumbnail specimen of this rare copper selenide from Bolivia. What more can I say?

BSU30 Greenockite

Siglo XX Mine, Near Llalagua, Oruro Dept., Bolivia

5.3x 3.4x 2.3 cm

$160

Greenockite is rarely available from anywhere, but those from Bolivia are particularly scarce. This specimen has a rich coating of the mineral, and small crystals (!) that are actually visible.

BSU31 Greenockite

Siglo XX Mine, Near Llalagua, Oruro Dept., Bolivia

5.2x 4.0x 3.1 cm

$85

Greenockite is rarely available from anywhere, but those from Bolivia are particularly scarce. This specimen has a rich red coating of the mineral, on matrix.

BSU32 Greenockite

Siglo XX Mine, Near Llalagua, Oruro Dept., Bolivia

5.6x 5.1x 2.4 cm

$80

Greenockite is rarely available from anywhere, but those from Bolivia are particularly scarce. This specimen has a rich coating of the mineral,on matrix.

BSU33 Greenockite

Siglo XX Mine, Near Llalagua, Oruro Dept., Bolivia

7.2x 4.3x 1.8 cm

$65

Greenockite is rarely available from anywhere, but those from Bolivia are particularly scarce. This specimen has a rich coating of the mineral, on matrix.