Thumbnails!

A great thumbnail sized specimen of chalcopyrite from Huanzala.  This mine is best known for its pyrite, probably having produced more of that species than any other mine.  Despite the many thousands of tonnes of pyrite, other sulfides have been considerably less common at the mine.  This piece combines two of them-- the chalcopyrite is actually situated on a black sphalerite crystal,, but the way I have mounted it makes it difficult to see the sphalerite.  If you are into sulfides or Peruvian minerals, I thought this was a pretty good piece.

A bright octahedral carrolklite crystal on a bit of matrix, from Congo. Carrollite is a rare copper cobalt sulfide, and while it occurs at scores of locations worldwide, it is known as good specimens from pretty much one locality in Congo.

A beautiful example of lustrous and rather gemmy, honey-colored calcite from Indiana.  When it comes to American calcite, the Elmwood Mine in Tennessee seems to get all the attention, but the Midwestern part of the country is full of quarries and mines that produce a wide range of calcite habits.  Specimens from the Berry Materials Quarry are among the most distinct, with a slightly rounded appearance (as opposed to the more elongated scalenohedrons or robs you see everywhere else.) Along with the twinned crystals fro the Irving Materials Quarry (also in Indiana) these are my favorite American calcites.  This is a particularly good thumbnail, with he crystals aesthetically perched on a bit of matrix, and again, slightly gemmier and somewhat more lustrous than what I'm used to seeing.  There are a couple very minute nicks (tiny white spots) on a couple of the edges, but nothing that substantially detracts from the piece.

A beautiful twinned calcite crystal from the Irving Materials Quarry, in Indiana.  Along with specimens from the Berry Material Quarry, these are some of Amy favorite American calcites, and certainly among the most distinctive in appearance.

A nice sample of wulfenite from the recent find at Mina Ojuela.  This one is a bit different than most-- the majority had three distinct layers, a darker layer of wulfenite sandwiched between two lighter colored growths, and their edges all lined up rather perfectly.  The crystals on this one all seem to have 2 layers, and the darker one is slightly larger than the lighter one.  It's not really much of a selling point, just something unusual... and it's still a pretty good wulfenite thumbnail from the locality. 

A nice thumbnail sized wulfenite specimen from the recent find at Mina Ojuela.

A nice thumbnail sized example of wulfenite from the recent find at Mina Ojuela.

A rich thumbnail-sized specimen of this rare silver antimony sulfide, from the San Genaro Mine.  I stumbled across a very small group of these on my last trip, like most examples from this location the miargyrite here seems to be a replacement after and overgrowth over acanthite.  It's a pretty good (and hard to find) example of this species. 

A sharp thumbnail of celestite from a locality inside the Detroit metro area.  This piece was collected at least 20 years ago, and has beautiful phantoms, above average transparency, and a sharp termination.  Michigan celestites are not exactly rare (at least at shows in the Midwestern US) but even there they are outnumbered by pieces from Madagascar, and its not really often hat I see a particularly nice thumbnail.

A excellent crystal of this radioactive, rare earth bearing oxide from Madagascar. Most of the samarskite you see on the market are somewhat indistinct chunks collected from pegmatites (such as what you usually see from Colorado) or shards.  This one is a distinct crystal.  Samarskite itself if a glassy/metallic looking black color, but the surfaces have altered to a thin brown layer that I'm sure contains a very interesting mix of micro rare earth species.

A sharp (and terminated) fergusonite crystal from Mogok.  Fergusonite is a rather hard to find, rare earth-bearing oxide.  The only other examples I have seen for sale have been from Norway or somewhat more pathetic examples from Virginia or Texas.  For some reason it is listed in the Simon and Schuster's field guide-- as a kid my goal was to collect all the species listed in that book, and this was one of the hardest to find (along with glaucodot-- I have no idea why anyone would put that in a field guide.) Though to return from my digression, this is a very good example-- sharp, terminated, and much more "in focus" than the few matrix examples I've seen, that always have a crystal somewhat awkwardly positioned where the pegmatite just happened to split and expose the crystal.

A cluster of rather large admit crystals from Mina Ojuela-- almost all of what's been found over the last decade has been small yellow or green crystals or crystal aggregates, the size of these crystals is more reminiscent of what came out in the early 1980's (this is from an old collection, but has no specific date.). The crystals are unusually under saturated, nearly white, though they do have a faintest, nearly invisble bit of purple around the terminations, which along with the size of the crystals leads me to suspect it was found around the same time as the manganoadamites (early to mis 80's.) Whatever the case, it is a very well formed example of the species. I do wish it had more color, but the lack of it also makes it quite unique.

A tapered hexagonal prism of hematite with lightly iridescent surfaces,  from a rather unusual locality.  Hormuz island is located near the Iranian coast at the narrowest point in the Persian Gulf, where the Arabian Peninsula juts out into the sea.

A somewhat tabular hexagonal prism of hematite with lightly iridescent surfaces, from a rather unusual locality.  Hormuz island is located near the Iranian coast at the narrowest point in the Persian Gulf, where the Arabian Peninsula juts out into the sea.

A nice example of rhodizite-londonite, with a saturated yellow dodecahedral crystal well positioned on a contrasting matrix.

A very unusual liddicoatite specimen from Madagascar, consisting of a spray-like cluster of crystals.  This comes from a small find made approximately 2 years ago. There is a bit of damage (mainly on the sides) but the piece is exactly as shown.

A beautiful terminated, zoned crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

A beautiful terminated, zoned crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

A beautiful terminated, zoned crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

A beautiful terminated, zoned crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  This one is small, but the alternating pink and green makes it particularly beautiful.  Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

A vividly colored, terminated, crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  Nothing from Brazil or even the Malchan pegmatites approaches the color of these brighter Malagasy examples. Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

An unusual spray-like cluster of liddicoatite tourmaline crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago.

An unusual, spray-like cluster of liddicoatite tourmaline crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago.

An unusual spray-like cluster of liddicoatite tourmaline crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago.

A beautiful terminated, zoned crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  This one grades from yellow to pink, with yellow being one of the rare tourmaline colors for any species but dravite. Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.  This one is a bit more included, so it's cheaper for the size. 

A very unusually colored pair of parallel crystals, the terminations are nearly colorless (white) with a darker green midsections and pinkish undertones near the base.  It's only a section of the crystals, but I can't say I've seen much white/colorless tourmaline from anywhere, especially Madagascar.

A decently sized liddocoatite specimen from Madagascar, with a pink layer a couple/few millimeters thick that has grown over a darker core.  This pice displays the steep termination that is typical of Malagasy liddicoatites.

A terminated green elbaite tourmaline from Pakistan's northern areas.  This one has numerous, minute growth tubes that give it a bit of an extra shimmer.

A classic "polychrome" tourmaline, with the semi-tabular form and double termination that is often present in the unusual Malagasy liddicoatites. 

A beautiful, terminated, bi-color crystal of liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar.  Liddicoatite is the calcium rich member of the tourmaline group.

An unusual spray-like cluster of liddicoatite tourmaline crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago.

A terminated, orangeish-pinkish red tourmaline from Madagascar. Small, but great color.

A vividly colored liddicoatite tourmaline fro Madagascar. As mounted, the bottom is completely terminated, the top only partially. I've positioned it this way though because it looked better with the spray opening upwards.  This is about as vivid as the color of these Malagasy tourmalines gets.

A cluster of vividly colored liddicoatite tourmalines, all terminated and with light zoning, from Madagascar.  The color of these are unmatched by anything from Brazil, Afghanistan, and all but a few from Russia.

An unusual spray-like cluster of liddicoatite tourmaline crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago. The terminations are not all there (mostly not) but there is a slight overgrowth so I'm guessing its mostly natural--plus its a spray, so it's a bit hard to tell anyway.  Either way, it's a good reference piece from the find, and the color is quite impressive.

A terminated liddicoatite tourmaline from Madagascar, this one has fairly strong chatoyancy from numerous (microscopically narrow) parallel growth tubes that give it an extra shimmer.  It is the same structural property that results in "cat's eye" cabochons when cut. Unusual piece-- I've seen green examples like the from the area, but never a pink.

A terminated pink liddicoatite crystal on a shard of quartz.  You might have noticed that virtually all of the Malagasy liddicoatite specimens that I post from this location do not have a matrix-- that is because the pegmatite here is highly weathered, and it basically just crumbles away from he tourmaline crystals when they are washed.  Once in a while though, there is a qood quartz association.

A cluster of terminated brownish-red liddicoatite tourmalines, with the main crystal having a green cap.

A rare matrix example of Malagasy liddicoatite tourmaline on matrix. This piece has a couple terminated, lightly zoned pink crystals on matrix.  Because the pegmatite at this locality is highly weathered, it tends to crumble away when the freshly collected crystals are washed.  As a result matrix examples are somewhat harder to find.

A terminated orangish-brownish pink liddicoatite crystal from Madagascar. Slightly darker than the pictures show.

An unusual, light green liddocatite specimen from Mt. Ibity,

A terminated brownish-orangish-red liddicoatite crystal, with a green cap.

A somewhat tabular, doubly terminated, purplish pink liddicoatite crystal from Madagascar.

A small, but quite beautiful, light pink liddicoatite crystal from Madagascar with light zoning.

A nice thumbnail sized crystal of spray-like liddicoatite, with a pink body and yellow undertones near the termination.

A very unusual spray of liddicoatite crystals, from a small find made approximately 2 years ago.  Very usual material for Madagascar.

A cluster of reddish-pink liddicoatite crystals from a find made about 2 years ago.  The main one has a greenish cap.

A spray-like cluster of seep purplish pink liddicoatite tourmaline on a smoky quartz matrix.  This was one of the only matrix examples I saw from the find (made approximately 2 years ago) though it does have some damage. Still, a very unusual piece for the locality.

A decently sized (for the locality) tabular unite crystal, with some magnesite rhombs clinging to the back.