Mixed Minerals!


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NCN01 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
15.8x 10.1x 5.5 cm
$785

A large plate of green fluorite from the Okorusu Mine,  this one has numerous small white quartz crystals interspersed among small green fluorite cubes and cube-octahedrons, with a larger, more deeply colored crystal positioned off to the left. 

A video can be seen here:












NCN02 Calcite
Wenshan, Yunnan Prov., China
14.2x 8.8x 6.3 cm
$400

A very beautiful cluster of calcite crystals from southwestern China, this location produces a lot of material but this one stuck out for it's lack of damage, high transparency, and the overall beautiful arrangement of the calcites.  Typically these have cleaves or missing crystals here and there, or they are repaired-- this one is perfect. Most are also somewhat less translucent, and the crystals (at least on the upper cluster) are positioned in a somewhat starburst/flower-like arrangement.  

A bit hard to appreciate in the pictures, a video is available here:














NCN03 Chrysocolla, Clinoatacamite with Quartz
Lily Mine (Lilly Mine), Pisco Umay, Ica Department, Peru
14.1x 7.6x 8.1 cm
$685

A great example of clinoatacamite from the best of species find about 10 years ago, this one has a number of sizable crystals situated in a quartz, malachite and chrysocolla lined vug. This mine was better known for its drusy quartz covered chrysocolla and malachite, these were a one time surprise.  

A video can be seen here: 









NCN04 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
8.7x 6.2x 4.4 cm
$695

A very lustrous cluster of fluorite from Okorusu, unlike many from the location it needs no back lighting to be appreciated, and the larger crystals display very pretty green and yellow-green zoning. 

It is admittedly a bit hard to appreciate in the pictures, due to the proximity of the crystals to each other and their transparency, a video can be seen at:











NCN05 Pyrite
Dungchuan, Kunming District., Yunnan Prov., China
13.5x 11.7x 10.0 cm
$395

A very interesting shale concretion with banded pyrite, for whatever reason this one is segmented into two portions and even has "eyes".... so I went ahead and tacked on a pair of lips. 

Shipping will be a bit higher for this one-- the thing is heavy!









NCN06 Fluorite on Quartz
Fujian Prov., China
6.0x 4.0x 3.7 cm
$395

A very pretty example of cubic fluorite crystals with octahedral modifications and beautiful blues-purple internal wisps. The colors really glow inside the fluorite crystals, and they contrast the milky white fluorite especially well.

A video can be seen here:
















NCN07 Uvarovite Garnet
Xizhang A.R. (Tibet), China
6.4x 5.1x 3.1 cm
$365

A novelty from China, and something that is both unusual for what it is, as well as where it was found. Uvarovite is one of the rarer garnet group members, with the majority of specimens on the market coming from a single area in Russia. Larger crystals are also known from Outokumpu, Finland, though they are not encountered too frequently.

This new location somewhere in Tibet produced a small quantity of these rich specimens, with numerous, small but very bright green crystals embedded in their matrixes. What's more unusual is the location-- despite being one of China's larger provinces, there are very few specimens that come from the area. 











NCN08 Schorl Tourmaline with Fluorite
Erongo Mountain, Erongo Region, Namibia
14.2x 9.3x 6.3 cm
$585

A large cluster of schorl tourmaline crystals, studded with numerous green fluorites.The termination is mostly fibrous.

There has been a lot of schorl from Erongo over theist few years, I think this is a good example to illustrate the difference between pieces form "Erongo" and "Rondeklip".  Rondeclip pieces tend to be single crystals, often with cleaner non-compound faces. The majority are somewhat flatter and stubby-- the bulk of pieces on the market over the last couple years have been from a couple massive pockets discovered in that area-- the most frequent associations are with quartz and hyalite opal. This one is from Erongo-- erongo pieces tend to be more elongated, they often have fibrous terminations, and fluorite is a frequent association.  This comes from the same hole as the "lollipop pocket" which is a bit of a marketing misnomer-- that wasn't one small pocket but rather a zone in a long mineralized tube.  You can even see some little "lollipops" on the side of this one-- the sort of thing that when broken off would have been stuck in a Perky box and sold as a thumbnail. 

Some bits will come off during shipping-- I got his thing from Namibia to China, and I can send it elsewhere-- though it should be understood that a some of the small crystals will of course come off. 














NCN09 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
3.1x 2.8x 1.8 cm
$295

A beautiful fluorite from Okorusu, this one has a bluish core that becomes particularly pronounced under strong lighting (though it does not require backlighting) 










NCN10 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
3.4x 2.4x 2.0 cm
$325

A nice example of fluorite from Okorusu, this one is a cluster of greenish crystals with a blue tinge, and purplish phantoms.  












NCN11 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
4.4X 3.7X 3.0 CM
$285

A very saturated green fluorite from Okorusu; the main crystal shows very clear phantoming with even slight extra lighting. Somewhat different coloration on this one compared to most others I have seen, I think its that strong greenish-yellow band in the main crystals that sets these apart.

 















NCN11A Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
12.8x 7.8x 7.2 cm
$485

A large cluster of green fluorite cubes on matrix, many are somewhat transparent and some show purplish cores. 











NCN12 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
4.2x 2.6x 1.9 cm
$168

A very saturated green fluorite from Okorusu; the main crystal shows very clear phantoming with even slight extra lighting. Somewhat different coloration on this one compared to most others I have seen, I think its that greenish-yellow band in the main crystals that sets these apart.

 










NCN13 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
5.2x 4.1x 2.9 cm
$185

A well crystallized example of fluorite from Okarusu, this one has been carved out to allow better light transmission. The crystals on the edge of the cluster already showed dark bluish phantoms, though after being carved out the central portions now also show various purple hues in addition to the blue. 

A backlit video can be seen here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBafnJbxS7D/













NCN14 Calcite
Wenshan, Yunnan Prov., China
6.3x 6.1x 4.8 cm
$195

A ball-like cluster of very sharp calcite crystals from Yunnan, unlike most this one is damage free and has a particularly nice crispness, what with all the sharp edges and fine points. The overall arrangement is quite pleasant as well-- I've photographed it from various random angles and it still has a nice, ball like from regardless. 

A video can be seen here:











NCN15 Wulfenite
Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
5.3x 3.3x 3.1 cm
$185

A nice example of "sandwich wulfenite" from Ojuela, this one is from a find made a few years ago, and hosts several well formed crystals on matrix, displaying the distinctive zoning that has earned them the moniker "sandwich."









NCN16 Wulfenite
Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
8.6x 5.3x 1.6 cm
$158

A nice example of "sandwich wulfenite" from Ojuela, this one is from a recent find, and hosts several a nubbier of well formed crystals on matrix, displaying the distinctive zoning that has earned them the moniker "sandwich."









NCN17 Wulfenite
Mina Ojuela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
11.7x 2.9x 2.5 cm
$168

A nice example of "sandwich wulfenite" from Ojuela, this one is from a recent find, and hosts several a nubbier of well formed crystals on matrix, displaying the distinctive zoning that has earned them the moniker "sandwich."







NCN18 Fluorite
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
2.7x 2.0x 1.8 cm
$200

A "box buster" thumbnail from Yindu, this one has light outer blue zones and a darker core-- what particularly sets this one apart however is an iridescent sheen on the surface.  I've only seen a few with this, I'm not sure what causes it. 










NCN19 Fluorite
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
6.5x 2.8x 2.3 cm
$285

A group of fluorite crystals on matrix, while they look like regular dark purple crystals at first, a bit of backlighting reveals particularly interesting internal features. One crystal has a sort of "cross" and another displays the "alien eye" phenomenon, with yellowish "eyes" surrounded by purple. 

A video (backlit and normal lighting) can be seen here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBYqBdYSsh1/













NCN20 Andradite Garnet var. Topazolite
Piedra Parada, Las Vigas, Veracru, Mexico
7.7x 4.1x 2.9 cm
$265

The area around Las Vegas is best known for its amethyst, though it has also produced these yellow green topazolite garnets in relatively small quantities. I purchased a group of these and selected the best few to post here-- this one has good coverage, crystal size and color. 











NCN21 Andradite Garnet var. Topazolite
Piedra Parada, Las Vigas, Veracru, Mexico
3.8x 2.5x 3.1 c,
$168

The area around Las Vegas is best known for its amethyst, though it has also produced these yellow green topazolite garnets in relatively small quantities. I purchased a group of these and selected the best few to post here-- this one has particularly good color., in fact between that and the matrix, it could almost pass for a demantoid from Madagascar













NCN22 Andradite Garnet var. Topazolite
Piedra Parada, Las Vigas, Veracru, Mexico
4.4x 2.5x 3.0 cm
$165

The area around Las Vegas is best known for its amethyst, though it has also produced these yellow green topazolite garnets in relatively small quantities. I purchased a group of these and selected the best few to post here-- this one has good color, and I particularly like the way the main crystals are spaced out, with the contrasting black mineral (no idea what that is) providing a backdrop. 









NCN23 Fluorite
Qinglong Mine, Dachang Sb ore field, Qinglong Co., Qianxi'nan Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China
8.0x 4.8x 4.4 cm
$168

A very nice example of this distinctive fluorite habit from Qinlong dubbed "QR code fluorite," for the selective concentration of coloration on the crystal faces.  This one is a bit different from most-- the color is heavy concentrated on the edges rather than on the interior of the faces, the being denser than most, the outlines give these an very comic book-like appearance, for whatever reason it reminds me a bit of the "Archer" illustration style, with the excessively thick outlines and sharp color contrasts. Very satisfying to look at all the sharp, well outlined little cubes!











NCN24 Tyuyamunite with Fluorite
Qinglong Mine, Dachang Sb ore field, Qinglong Co., Qianxi'nan Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China
8.7x 6.5x 3.0 cm
$168

I love usual specimens so this gets posted: a uranium-bearing tyuyamunite from Qinlong. This mine is best known for its QR code fluorites, creedites and selenites, but there are a number of other unusual things found there.  This is quite good for a Chinese tyuyamunite-- and quite rare. Usually when you see this species, it is coming from somewhere in the American southwest. There is also a pale little "QR" style fluorite on the piece, that clearly marks it as being from this locality!







NCN25 Fluorite
Xianghualing Mine, Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu Co. , Chenzhou Pref., Hunan Prov., China
15.8x 7.0x 3.8 cm
$395

A large plate of water clear fluorite on matrix, from the well known Xianghualing Mine in Hunan Province. Piece from this pocket were a bit unusual for 2 reasons-- firstly the black matrix that provides an extra contrast to the pale crystals, where as most tend to have nearly white, or lightly tan colored matrixes.  The second thing that made this unusual is the slight zoning-- in the larger crystals you can see an almost greenish-yellow orb of concentrated color right in the center. I thought they were kind of interesting-- as usual I like to purchase in groups but I only post the ones I like more here. 

Admittedly difficult to appreciate in the pictures, a video can be seen here:













NCN26 Fluorite
Xianghualing Mine, Xianghualing Sn-polymetallic ore field, Linwu Co. , Chenzhou Pref., Hunan Prov., China
9.0x 6.4x 3.5 cm
$385

A large plate of water clear fluorite on matrix, from the well known Xianghualing Mine in Hunan Province. Piece from this pocket were a bit unusual for 2 reasons-- firstly the black matrix that provides an extra contrast to the pale crystals, where as most tend to have nearly white, or lightly tan colored matrixes.  The second thing that made this unusual is the slight zoning-- in the larger crystals you can see an almost greenish-yellow orb of concentrated color right in the center. I thought they were kind of interesting-- as usual I like to purchase in groups but I only post the ones I like more here. 

Admittedly difficult to appreciate in the pictures, a video can be seen here:
















NCN27 Calcite (Twin!)
Daye Area, Hubei Prov., China
8.8x 5.3x 3.4 cm
$285

A sizable example of a twinned calcite from Daye; this mine produces insane amounts of calcite but this style of twin is reasonably uncommon. This one has some sort of sulfide (?) inclusion that gives it a grayish hue in some areas. 







NCN28 Uvarovite Garnet
Xizhang A.R. (Tibet), China
5.7x 1.7x 1.6 cm
$165

A novelty from China, and something that is both unusual for what it is, as well as where it was found. Uvarovite is one of the rarer garnet group members, with the majority of specimens on the market coming from a single area in Russia. Larger crystals are also known from Outokumpu, Finland, though they are not encountered too frequently.

This new location somewhere in Tibet produced a small quantity of these rich specimens, with numerous, small but very bright green crystals embedded in their matrixes. What's more unusual is the location-- despite being one of China's larger provinces, there are very few specimens that come from the area. 







NCN29 Dolomite with Chalcopyrite
Shanxi Prov., China
4.5x 4.4x 2.7 cm
$265

A nice example of dolomite with chalcopyrite, apart from the obvious contrast between the two species, pieces from this find were notable for the relative transparency of the dolomites-- apart from the classic specimens from Eugui in Spain, it is not too common to find dolomite of this quality. Some, like this one, also have slight purplish tinge, and I would point out that it was not easy to find pieces without obvious damage-- I guess the cleavability of the dolomite combined with weaknesses imparted by semi-embedded chalcopyrite made them easier to break during extraction. 

I am writing "Shanxi Province" for the locality, but these are new enough that they are still in the stage where accurate information is obscured-- I first saw them at a shop near a mine in Hubei, and have since seen them labeled as coming from Hebei and Shanxi....

Usually I trim the number of photographs down more, but this one is pretty from many angles, so....I didn't. 

In any case, a video is also available here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBYpSOLSYYt/















NCN30 Dolomite with Chalcopyrite
Shanxi Prov., China
4.3x 2.6x 2.7 cm
$165

A nice example of dolomite with chalcopyrite, apart from the obvious contrast between the two species, pieces from this find were notable for the relative transparency of the dolomites-- apart from the classic specimens from Eugui in Spain, it is not too common to find dolomite of this quality. Some, like this one, also have slight purplish tinge, and I would point out that it was not easy to find pieces without obvious damage-- I guess the cleavability of the dolomite combined with weaknesses imparted by semi-embedded chalcopyrite made them easier to break during extraction. 

I am writing "Shanxi Province" for the locality, but these are new enough that they are still in the stage where accurate information is obscured-- I first saw them at a shop near a mine in Hubei, and have since seen them labeled as coming from Hebei and Shanxi....

A video is available here:














NCN31 Dolomite with Chalcopyrite
Shanxi Prov., China
5.4x 4.0x 2.3 cm
$165

A nice example of dolomite with chalcopyrite, apart from the obvious contrast between the two species, pieces from this find were notable for the relative transparency of the dolomites-- apart from the classic specimens from Eugui in Spain, it is not too common to find dolomite of this quality, and I would point out that it was not easy to find pieces without obvious damage-- I guess the cleavability of the dolomite combined with weaknesses imparted by semi-embedded chalcopyrite made them easier to break during extraction. 

I am writing "Shanxi Province" for the locality, but these are new enough that they are still in the stage where accurate information is obscured-- I first saw them at a shop near a mine in Hubei, and have since seen them labeled as coming from Hebei and Shanxi....









NCN32 Dolomite with Chalcopyrite
Shanxi Prov., China
3.4x 2.7x 2.4 cm
$100

A nice example of dolomite with chalcopyrite, apart from the obvious contrast between the two species, pieces from this find were notable for the relative transparency of the dolomites-- apart from the classic specimens from Eugui in Spain, it is not too common to find dolomite of this quality, and I would point out that it was not easy to find pieces without obvious damage-- I guess the cleavability of the dolomite combined with weaknesses imparted by semi-embedded chalcopyrite made them easier to break during extraction. 

I am writing "Shanxi Province" for the locality, but these are new enough that they are still in the stage where accurate information is obscured-- I first saw them at a shop near a mine in Hubei, and have since seen them labeled as coming from Hebei and Shanxi....











NCN33 Dolomite with Chalcopyrite
Shanxi Prov., China
3.0x 2.0x 1.85 cm
$95

A nice thumbnail sized example of highly transparent dolomite with chalcopyrite, apart from the obvious contrast between the two species, pieces from this find were notable for the relative transparency of the dolomites-- with the exception of the classic specimens from Eugui in Spain, it is not too common to find dolomite of this quality, and I would point out that it was not easy to find pieces without obvious damage-- I guess the cleavability of the dolomite combined with weaknesses imparted by semi-embedded chalcopyrite made them easier to break during extraction. 

I am writing "Shanxi Province" for the locality, but these are new enough that they are still in the stage where accurate information is obscured-- I first saw them at a shop near a mine in Hubei, and have since seen them labeled as coming from Hebei and Shanxi....









NCN34 Fluorite (Spinel twin)
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
4.1x 1.8x 1.4 cm
$285

A very unusual, elongated fluorite spinel twin from Inner Mongolia.  These have a very unusual appearance, not only because of the crystal form but because of the color zoning, with purple zones, colorless windows, and various areas with silty-looking inclusions. Not perfect, but a great example of this hard to find material, at a fraction of what they usually cost.










NCN35 Fluorite (Spinel twin)
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
3.2x 2.2x 1.7 cm
$265

A very unusual Yindu fluorite, this one seems to be a combination of spinel twins with a partial overgrowth of light blue fluorite.  he overgrowth itself is strange, from the side it appears to be a cubic overgrowth, but from the front it seems to be taking the form of an elongated crystal with octahedral modifications.  The twins have zoning that exhibits parallel banding and color concentration on selected faces.  It's difficult to describe everything going on on this one-- it's just a very weird crystal cluster, I think the pictures give a good sense of the piece.














NCN36 Fluorite (Spinel twin)
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
3.5x 2.9x 1.6 cm
$185

A very unusual, elongated fluorite spinel twin from Inner Mongolia.  These have a very unusual appearance, not only because of the crystal form but because of the color zoning, with purple zones, colorless windows, and various areas with silty-looking inclusions. Not perfect, but a great example of this hard to find material, at a fraction of what they usually cost.

A video can be seen here:









NCN37 Fluorite (Spinel twin)
yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
2.6x 1.7x 1.5 cm
$165

A thumbnail sized fluorite spinel twin from Inner Mongolia.  These have a very unusual appearance, not only because of the crystal form but because of the color zoning, with purple zones, colorless windows, and various areas with silty-looking inclusions. Not easy to find these, especially as good thumbnails. 












NCN38 Fluorite on Quartz
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
3.0x 1.9x 1.6 cm
$185

A very pretty thumbnail-sized example of fluorite on quartz.  The fluorite crystals have a very transparent outer layer, and inside you can see cubo-octahedrons with very clear zoning, some even display a cross-like pattern.  What makes this particularly unusual is that the outer transparent layer has not completely crystalized around the cube-octahedrons in some places, so you can kind of see the formation of the phantoms "in progress."  These fluorites being perched on a quartz crystal makes the whole piece more aesthetic overall, and when you look closely you can also notice all the small details that make it special.













NCN39 Fluorite (Spinel twin)
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
5.5x 4.0x 2.8 cm
$285

A very unusual, elongated fluorite spinel twin from Inner Mongolia.  These have a very unusual appearance, not only because of the crystal form but because of the color zoning, with purple zones, colorless windows, and various areas with silty-looking inclusions. Not perfect, but a great example of this hard to find material, at a fraction of what they usually cost.












NCN40 Fluorite on Schorl Tourmaline
Erongo Mountain, Erongo Region, Namibia
5.7x 2.8x 1.7 cm
$165

A gemmy and unusually glassy green fluorite crystal on a c luster of black schorl crystals. 








NCN41 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
3.9x 2.8x 1.5 cm
$138

A very saturated green fluorite from Okorusu; the main crystal shows very clear phantoming with even slight extra lighting. Somewhat different coloration on this one compared to most others I have seen, I think its that greenish-yellow band in the main crystals that sets these apart.

 










NCN42 Uvarovite Garnet
Xizhang A.R. (Tibet), China
2.4x 1.8x 1.4 cm
$88

A rich, thumbnail sized example of uvarovite garnets from Tibet-- very unusual to see material from this area, and to see the species from anywhere other than Russia or Finland. 







NCN43 Fluorite
Okarusu Mine, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia
3.8x 3.7x 2.1 cm
$145

These fluorites appear pitch black, though have been carved out from the back and with strong backlighting reveal a bright bluish purple core, surrounded by a lime green outer layer.











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