RKL2 Vivianite

Morococala Mine, Santa Fé Mining District, Dalence Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia

8.5x 6.5x 9.0 cm

$2700

Ex. Martin Zinn

The largest known vivianites may have come from Cameroon, but the finest have undoubtedly come from Bolivia.  There are 4 primary Bolivian vivianite localities: Huanuni, Lallagua, Morococala, and most recently the Canutillos Mine (aka Tomokoni Adit).  Thanks to finds at Tomokoni, Bolivian vivianites have recently become more widely available, but the new pieces, with their sandstone matrixes, don’t compare.

In my opinion, the best came from Morococala, and were found over a very short interval in the early 1980’s.  Miners there discovered a room full of crystals, though the mine manager soon decided that the workers should not be wasting time collecting crystals, and dynamited the room.  Today, Morococala vivianites are quite scarce.

This is a spectacular vivianite from the mine, one of the best I have seen in years.  The crystal measures 2 and ¼ inches, and has the multifaceted surfaces that Morococala vivianites are known for.  This specimen was previously in the Martin Zinn collection, and is accompanied by his label.

There are a couple chips on the front to edge, this is visible in the photographs. From the look of it, this happened when the crystal was excavated. Even so, this did not prevent its inclusion in the Zinn collection, and it remains a very substantial vivianite.

RKL3 Silver

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

5.5x 3.5x 2.5 cm

$1900

Ex. Dave Wilber

Ex. Joeseph A. Freilich 

A thick, curved silver wire on a matrix of dark manganese oxides, from the same mine responsible for producing the beautiful rhodochrosites.

This specimen predates the recent finds of silver at Uchucchacua, and surpasses all but a few from that mine in terms of quality.  More recent specimens lack the thickness and size of this piece.

In a lighter note, it looks a bit like a question mark.

The list of previous owners doesn't hurt either...

RKL4 Cuprite

Bisbee, Warren Mts,. Cochise Co., Arizona, United States

2.9x 1.8x 2.0 cm

$950

How often do you see Bisbee cuprite crystals of this size for sale?  Although in more recent years crystals such as this one have come from Kazakhstan, Congo and Tsumeb, classic pieces like this one remain exceedingly rare.

As far as I can tell, the crystal is intact or nearly intact, the main crystal actually appears to be perched on another that is heavily etched, and the etching makes it difficult to tell what is a natural face and what is a chip, but either way that is the bottom of the crystal, so it doesn't really matter... for all intents and purposes this specimen a near floater.

When viewed under normal lighting, it appears to have the typical metallic reddish color, but when backlit (or even held up to the sun) this piece turns blood red (forgive the blurry last image.. the point is just to show the backlit color)

This is a great cuprite from a classic American locality, the sort of thing that rarely turns up, and that has not been mined for decades. 

RKL5 Pyrite

Huanzala Mine, Huallanca District, Dos De May Prov., , Peru

12.3x 8.2x 7.0 cm

$1300

A stunning large cabinet specimen, one of the three best from a lot of a few hundred.    

This specimen displays well from multiple angles, with exceptional 3-dimensionallity and sharpness, and a lack of damage.  There is contacting on the reverse, and bottom, but as shown in the images, this piece displays well from several angles.

The largest crystal measures 8.2 cm across.

This specimen is easily in the top .0001% of material recovered from Huanzala.  A miner told me that these pieces are snuck out of the mine in rucksacks weighing as much as 50 kg.  Under such conditions, it is a minor miracle that any specimen can survive in such good condition.  

RKL6 Silver

Batopilas, Municipio de Batopilas, Chihuahua, Mexico

5.8x 5.3x 3.0 cm

$885

Ex. Robert Nowakowski

A beautiful and exceptionally rich silver specimen from the classic Batopilas locality, known for producing some of the finest mexican silver crystals.  This example is particularly rich and well crystallized; with the largest crystal measuring approximately 3 cm.

It comes with handwritten and typed Robert Nowakowski labels, indicating that he paid $250 for this specimen in 1972.  That would be around $1200 in today's dollars, and it was purchased at a time when these things were more plentiful.

This piece also has a couple bits of matrix-- as with all Batopilas silvers, the silver is etched out of silver-bearing calcite veins.  In this case, some of the rock attached to the calcite is still present, again, very unusual for these silvers.

Better looking in person... the pictures make the crystals look somewhat jumbled.

RKL7 Cobaltian Calcite 

Kolwezi, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo

3.3x 2.4x 1.9 cm

$475

A pink cobaltian calcite crystal from the D.R. Congo.  These things were found in the 1980's, and are rarely seen on the market today.  They are however, among the most highly sought after of Congolese minerals-- and that is saying a lot, given the vast quantities of specimens that have come from that country.

This specimen is a perfect example of this material, with terminated crystals on a sliver of matrix, associated with several malachite balls.

I would consider it to be a small miniature/ toenail, however it does fit into a Perky box, so it could still fit the requirements of a thumbnail collector.

For the price, it's a very good piece.  Specimens of this quality are hard to find for under $1000

RKL8 Cerussite

Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia

4.4x 2.9x 3.5 cm

$450

Ex. Nérée Boubée II

Ex. Folch

Ex. Freilich (Stock)

A very beautiful miniature specimen, with a cyclic cerussite twin perched on a small amount of matrix.  I have seen a number of these "snowflakes" over the years, but seeing them on matrix is a bit more unusual (not rare, but definitely uncommon).

This specimen has labels that date it back to at least 1962, when the piece was purchased by Joaquin Folch from Nérée Boubée II (whose grandfather was also a mineral dealer).  The Folch collection was for decades among the finest in Europe; this is one of the duplicates that was recently dispersed by Jordi Fabre.  It was purchased by Joseph Freilich, from whom I acquired it in trade.

RKL9 Variscite 

Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Oquirrh Mts, Utah Co., Utah, USA

12.3x 9.4x 0.7 cm

$395

A large slice of a variscite nodule, from a locality that was the focus of the latest Mineralogical Record issue. 

RKL10 Quartz var. Ametrine 

Anahi Mine, sandoval Prov., Santa Cruz Dept., Bolivia

7.8x 3.7x 2.5 cm

$345

Ex. Robert Nowakowski

These Bolivian ametrine specimens have always intrigued me. This is an etched prism (they are always etched) of gemmy ametrine, complete with terminations.

When held up to the light, the orange and purple regions that give ametrine its name [amethyst +  citrine ]are clearly visible.

This is from the same area known for producing the massive amethyst clusters that we are all familiar with.  This mine is located in the Amazonian east of the country-- the vast majority of Bolivian specimens (the sulfosalts, sulfides, phosphophyllites, etc.) come from the mountainous west.  As a side note, gas rich Santa Cruz is also the center of a recent secessionist movement in Bolivia.

RKL11 Pyromorphite

Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States

3.0x 2.4x 1.5 cm

$135

A perfect thumbnail consisting of a cluster of rather large, orange pyromorphite crystals from what is probably the most famous modern American pyromorphite locality.  These pyromorphites were unearthed in the 1980's, at a location that is today a designated Superfund cleanup site.  

This is an excellent thumbnail for the locality, with a large, bright, pinacoid crystal.  No damage.

RKL12 Pyromorphite

Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States

3.9x 3.5x 2.3 cm

$200

A cluster of rather large, orange pyromorphite crystals from what is probably the most famous modern American pyromorphite locality.  These pyromorphites were unearthed in the 1980's, at a location that is today a designated Superfund cleanup site.  No damage.

RKL13 Copper in Calcite

Bufa Mine, La Bufa, Municipio de Batopilas, Batopilas, Mexico

7.5x 5.0x 4.5 cm

$165

A copper included calcite specimen from a classic Mexican locality.  While the majority of copper included calcite specimens are known from Michigan's upper peninsula, this Mexican locality produced a number of fine specimens in the 1950's- 1960's.

The calcite crystals are very clear, and the copper dendrites can be seen inside and around the crystals.  Please note that there is some damage tot he specimen, and it can only be displayed from one side.  I feel that the price more than takes this into account however, and this remains a very good reference specimen of material that is almost never seen for sale.

RKL14 Fluorite on Quartz

Xianghualing Mine, Chenzhou, Hunan Prov., China

11.3x 6.7x 4.2 cm

A cabinet specimen of green fluorite on a spire of quartz crystals.  The white quartz crystals are present on both the front and back of the specimen.

There are cleaves on two of the fluorite tips, though it remains a beautiful specimen.  In particular, it differs from the majority of other Xianghualing specimens in that it is not solely composed of fluorite, rather, there are two distinct crystals on a matrix of another mineral. Most of the time, these fluorites are just large masses of green.

RKL15 Anglesite

Touissit, Touissit District, Oujda-Angad Province, Oriental Region, Morocco

8.5x 4.3x 3.1 cm

$685

A very large anglesite crystal from a classic locality.  This specimen is translucent, heavy, and has a faint yellow color.

The crystals are perfectly terminated, and while not gemmy, are VERY large and well formed.  This locality has produced some the finest anglesites known, and this is certainly in the larger size range to come from there, or anywhere for that matter.

RKL16 Strengite

Leveäniemi Iron Mine, Svappavaara, Sweden

6.0x 4.8x 5.0 cm

$245

A very rich specimen of the rare iron phosphare strengite, with numerous pale, purplish-gray botryoids in a vug.  There is also a bit of some greenish mineral, which I suspect is either kidwellite or rockbridgeite.  In any case, this is a great opportunity to obtain a rare specimen, from an interesting Swedish locality.

RKL17 Pyromorphite

Les Farges, Correze, Ussel, France

3.8x 3.3x 2.0 cm

$285

Ex. Gary Hansen

Ex. Joe Freilich (stock)

A pyromorphite specimen from the major find at Les Farges, which predated the current wave of Chinese pyromorphites by nearly 30 years.  These remain highly sought after, though have become scarcer in the years since.

This specimen can be displayed from any number of angles; unlike most specimens which have a clear front, back, top, or bottom, the "correct orientation" for this one is really a matter of personal preference.

This particular specimen was in the collection of Gary Hansen, who assembled an (amazing) pyromorphite suite that was dispersed by Robert Lavinsky.  This is one of those specimens.  I acquired it in trade form Joseph Freilich. 

RKL18 Stellerite

Sarbaiskoe Deposit; Qostaney Oblyst', Kazakhstan

4.7x 3.2x 2.6 cm

$135

A bright orange stellerite specimen, with a radial cluster of stellerite crystals on matrix.  This is one of the few macroscopic zeollites that India does not do better.

RKL19 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

8.0x 6.6x 3.5 cm

$185

A large coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

Provided you don't display your minerals in the same place where you take hot showers, you should be ok.

This is the best piece from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru, and is composed of multiple hexagonal prisms of coquimbite, along with a number of other sulfate minerals.

RKL20 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

4.2x 3.6x 3.8 cm

$140

A coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

Provided you don't display your minerals in the same place where you take hot showers, you should be ok.

This is one of the best pieces from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru.  It is also one of the few matrix pieces that I have seen, and it has very large hexagonal crystals with deep color.

RKL21 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

5.9x 4.8x 3.2 cm

$95

A coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

Provided you don't display your minerals in the same place where you take hot showers, you should be ok.

This is one of the best pieces from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru. 

RKL22 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

7.1x 5.8x 4.6 cm

$95

A coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been absolutely no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

Provided you don't display your minerals in the same place where you take hot showers, you should be ok.

This is one of the best pieces from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru.  

RKL23 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

5.8x 3.6x 4.4 cm

$88

A coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been absolutely no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

This is one of the best pieces from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru.  This piece has reasonably large hexagonal crystals, but it's kind of hard to see anything but the color in the photographs.

RKL24 Coquimbite

Ortega Prospect, Ayacucho Prov, Peru

4.7x 3.8x 2.7 cm

$75

A coquimbite specimen from the recent find.  I have kept these in humid conditions for the last month and there has been absolutely no change, so I feel comfortable selling them.

This is one of the best pieces from a large lot that I had sent up from Peru.  This piece has reasonably large hexagonal crystals, but it's kind of hard to see anything but the color in the photographs.

RKL25 Kidwellite

Coon Creek Mine, Shady, Polk Co., Arkansas, USA

6.8x 4.5x 1.8 cm

$200

A very rich kidwellite specimen from Arkansas, closely related to the strengite specimen posted above.  I have admittedly seen mold that is prettier than this specimen, but that doesn't change the fact that this extremely good for the species.

RKL26 Lazurite

Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

7.1x 4.6x 5.6 cm

$200

A nice example of this classic material, from a mine that has been operated for at least a couple thousand years. 

Lazurite (or rather, lapis lazuli) from this mine has been found on Egyptian artifacts, and it adorns the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun, where it is prominently featured on the famous burial mask.

This is a single crystal of lazurite, on a marble matrix.  The crystal has excellent color, and is rather sharp.

 The term "lapis lazuli" refers to a blue rock composed of lazurite, pyrite, and marble; the higher the lazurite content the higher the grade.