A selection of minerals from around the world, including a selection of higher quality “grape agate” specimens from recent discoveries in Indonesia. These first started to appear around two years ago and the production has been somewhat varied in quality, with the majority having significant damage, weak color and orbs that seem too tightly packed. This group has somewhat more saturated color, are relatively clean, and most have a very pleasing secondary crystallization of microscopic quartz that gives them a wonderful sparkle. A few examples also have celadonite inclusions that turn the orbs green— the most interesting combine both purple and green orbs on a single specimen, making for a rather aesthetic contrast.
A cluster of large acanthite crystals from Mexico. These have the somewhat rounded, melted appearance that this mineral tends to take on at a number of localities, though you can still see the overall shape of the crystals, including one very large one that is aesthetically positioned above the main body of the specimen. Quite sizable for the price!
A very beautiful V-shaped cluster of amethyst crystals from Las Vigas, with good color and a very aesthetic overall arrangement. The crystals are complete on the back, though grew flat against the host rock.
A large creedite specimen from Mexico. Long a staple of wholesale dealers, the last few years have seen very little production of this material. This piece is not perfect— there are areas of shearing on the cluster, but the the overall arrangement and size give it quite a visual impact.
A very rare aeschyinte-(y) crystal from Madagascar. This is the yttrium rich member of the rare earth bearing aeschynite group- it is basically an oxide of various rare earth elements. I did not buy this in Madagascar, rather from a reputable dealer of rarities here in the US. Large crystals are not unknown, but they are certainly hard to come by…
This deposit was worked before WWI and again for a while after 1948, and is known for producing some of the most spectacular betafites ever recovered-- if you thought the Silver Crater Mine in Canada was impressive, this placed produced a single betafite over 100 kg. But I digress, that is another mineral entirely--though this is a pretty good (and old) example of something a bit rarer.
A very renal looking piece of “kidney ore” from the United Kingdom. Despite the nickname, they don’t often look quite so kidney-like.... It's a good example of classic material…but mostly I'm posting it because I found it kind of funny.