Mixed Minerals!

A beautiful and very rich example of very rare henmilite, from the type locality in Japan.  This piece features larger than average crystals, and the white matrix beautifully contrasts with the inky violet blue color of the henmilite crystals.

A beautiful and very rich example of very rare henmilite, from the type locality in Japan.  The white matrix beautifully contrasts with the inky violet blue color of the henmilite crystals, which are scattered on a couple sides of the specimen.

A very large faden quartz from Pakistan's restive South Waziristan region.  This piece has the typical line running through it's length.

An excellent miniature sized example of rhodochrosite from China-- at first glance this may look like a Sweet Home piece (and there is virtually nothing to distinguish it from one of those) but it is in fact Chinese.  

A beautiful cabinet sized pyrite specimen form the pocket discovered about 2 years ago. The crystals on this piece have a mirror-like luster (so much so that photographic this and other pieces from the pocket is a nightmare.....) and the quartz association adds a nice bit of contrast.  Both of these qualities were hallmarks of this particular discovery, that saw some of the best examples produced (at this already very prolific mine) in years. Very bright!

A nice example of deep, inky blue fluorite crystals that have completely overgrown a quartz crystal.  The fluorite cubes are a bit larger one one side, causing them to stand out and allow one side of the specimen to be particularly good for display-- it's something of an improvement on the usual coating of monosized crystals.  

A nice radiating cluster of quartz crystals from Huanggang, colored green by minute hedenbergite inclusions.  No damage.

A nice specimen of gentvhelvite from finds made a few years back.  This piece features two spiky clusters of brown genthelvite crystals positioned nicely on a magnetite matrix coated with calcite. here is a bit of etching near the bottom of the clusters, but no damage.

A rich specimen of wulfenite from a recent 2018 find at the Ojuela mine.  The crystals from this find are somewhat blockier than what is usually seen from Ojuela.

A beautiful example of gentvhelvite on matrix, with a perfect, quartz-sprinkled cluster aesthetically positioned atop a column of matrix.  The matrix on this piece is also particularly interesting-- it combines andradite garnet, quartz, calcite, and even a small partial scheelite.  Even without noticing those details however, it remains a beautiful example of gentvhelvite.

A beautiful (for Huanggang) combination specimen of scheelite with fluorite, from finds made a few years back.  This location produces specimens with various combinations from the same palate of species, however this is probably the only good scheelite/fluorite example I have seen.  For one thing, the position of the two minerals relative to each other, with complete fluorite octahedrons and an upright scheelite crystal, make for a beautiful display.  The scheelite has some etching near the top and on the back (it is not broken!) though the surfaces on the display side still retain a degree of luster that is very rare for this mine-- the majority are recovered with too much etching to have much of any luster left.  on top of that, the orientation of the scheelite in itself is something of an unusual occurrence-- they tend to be found lying flat against the matrixes.

A beautiful, cabinet sized example of quartz crystals with several colorless fluorite octahedrons clinging to the sides of the main cluster.  The quartz crystals all clearly show the typical habit of quartz from this locality, with the complex lateral faces and sceptered appearance.

A beautiful cluster of sceptered beta quartz crystals, displaying the complex lateral faces typical of examples from this locality.  This piece is unusual because the points of the terminations are selectively included with a yellowish brown material, with a slight darker band near the very tip.  The piece came as part of a large lot that I purchased, there were only a few of these "bull's eye" crystals in the group (I call them this because of the appearance when viewed down the main crystal axis.). The contrast between the main crystal's darker surfaces and the subsequent beta quartz growths also adds a degree of visual appeal. 

A complete and damage free spray of quartz crystals, perched on a small calcite ledge, and backed by a matrix of additional calcite and magnetite that have been partially overgrown by a later generation of calcite rhombs.  Quite pretty.

A nice specimen of scheelite on magnetite form finds made a few years back in Inner Mongolia.  This piece is notable for the luster of the scheelite crystal-- vitrtually of these are found heavily etched, usually you can make out the shape of the crystal, but sharp edges and a glassy luster are not typically seen.  The crystal is complete with no damage, and again, unusually sharp for what it is.

A nice "toenail" sized sample of reasonably large, very sharp and pointy gentvhelvite crystals aesthetically positioned on a bit of matrix.  Small, but excellent for the size. There is a bit of chipping visible in the photographs, but I do not think it detracts from the piece.

A beautiful and very well balanced example of scheelite with magnetite.  The scheelite crystal has unusually sharp edges, and the the luster is much better than the usual-- scheelites from this locality are typically etched to that point that you can make out the general crystal shape, but not precise edges.

An exceptionally sharp and lustrous scheelite crystal from Huanggang.  The bottom of the crystal is etched away, but the remaining portion has exceptionally sharp edges and luster-- at this locality, the scheelite is usually etched to the point that you can make out a general crystal shape, but not exact edges and definitely not a smooth glassy surface.

A nice "toenail" sized example of cassiterite from Mt. Xuebaoding with a bit of muscovite attached.

A large cluster of quartz crystals from Madagascar.  There are a few small chips, but I'm offering this as a decorator piece rather than a fine specimen.  With the arrangement of the crystals relative to each other, and its showcasing the typical "quartz crystal form," this would probably look quite attractive on a shelf or coffee table.

A large cluster of quartz crystals from Madagascar.  There are a few chips (most notably on the back of one of the terminations) but I'm offering this as a decorator piece rather than a fine specimen.  With the arrangement of the crystals relative to each other, and its showcasing the typical "quartz crystal form,"it  would probably look quite attractive on a shelf or coffee table.

A large quartz crystal from Madagascar.  There are a few small chips, but I'm offering this as a decorator piece rather than a fine specimen.  With the appropriate stand, it would probably look quite attractive on a shelf, or coffee table.

A very large faden quartz from Pakistan, with a bit of a gwindle-like twist in the orientation of the cluster along its length.  I would consider the large blocky crystal to be the bottom (it has a contact on one side) and some etching on the back of the opposite end.  It can be displayed from two different angles with neither of these things visible, ideally on a custom base.  For the size and price, it's pretty good-- if you invest a little into additional cleaning and a custom base, you'll have something that looks quite impressive. 

A great (and I would say rather underpriced) example of volborthite from the small find at Milpillas.  This mine is best known for its Tsumeb-esque azurite and the malachite pseudos, but it also produced a number of other minerals including pyrite, cuprite, brochantite and volborthite.  The volborthites are particularly notable:  this mineral typically looks like little more than a weak lichen, usually on a piece of sedimentary rock from Monument Valley.  To find actual, eye-visible crystals was virtually unheard of until this find.  This piece has a well-formed rosette of volborthite perched on a contrasting white matrix.  The cluster itself seems to have grown up against another surface that interrupted its growth, but the piece is exactly as shown.