Museum-Quality Specimens
I have a passion for big rocks that I would like to share with the world. Nothing
excites the imagination like large, natural crystals.
These magnificent specimens are, of course, going to require
somewhat more postage than standard rates. To make them more affordable
to you, I would be pleased to share 50% of your postage.
please click on images for larger views
please click on images for larger views
PYR9-19 Pyrite
in Shale $275
ex L. St-Cyr
approx. 300-foot level, Sparta, Randolph Co., Illinois
45 cm x 32 cm x 3 cm; largest "sun" is 8.5 cm across
These flattened discs of Pyrite are usually referred to as "suns" or "dollars" and are most usually found on the market singly, out of matrix. To have three of them in shale matrix is quite unusual. They are found in narrow seams of shale that are located between seams of coal in the mines near Sparta, Illinois. As with the sedimentary geodes that occur in Illinois, the principal theory of their formation is that they began as a fossil of indeterminate type, then added material by accretion. This one has been in my collection for about 7 years.
please click on images for larger views
please click on images for larger views
please click on images for larger views
ELBA5-1 Tourmaline var. Elbaite on Albite w/Lepidolite $7500 SOLD
Paprok, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan
31
cm x 27 cm x 11.5 cm;
largest crystal is 14.5 cm, doubly-terminated
This is a one-of-a-kind (I have never seen another comparable piece) matrix specimen with more than 60 (!!) pink-and-green Tourmalines embedded in cream-colored Albite accented with lavender Lepidolite. The pocket from which it was removed was apparently narrow because not all the Elbaites have complete terminations, but the effect of the Tourmaline-studded matrix is stunning. The largest Elbaite, shown close up in the middle photo, protrudes from the left side of the matrix, ending in a perfect, flat termination while the other end has a set of multiple, perfect terminations. Its total length is a whopping 14.5 cm, just under 6". Such a Tourmaline, even without matrix, would normally cost in the range of five figures. The bottom photo is a close up of another group of Tourmalines situated top-right in the first photo. Warning: prolonged perusal of this piece can cause one to believe he or she has been transported to the icy peaks of mountainous Afghanistan!
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please click on images for larger views
QWC9-1 Quartz with Chlorite Inclusions $895
Gronda da Cavrein Valley, Russein Valley, Vorderrhein Valley, Grischun, Switzerland
40 cm x 26 cm x 6 cm; largest crystal is 10.5 cm long
An incredibly huge plate of Alpine Quartz, predominantly clear, while the largest crystals contain some green Chlorite. The longest crystal is 10.5 cm long and is just left of center in the first photo. A close-up of it is shown in the second photo, where the green color is the Chlorite inclusion. It is impossible to condense this brilliant plate into a mere image on a webpage. Nor can I imagine how someone was able to climb into the Alps and carry this magnificent and heavy piece out without damage, simply for our viewing pleasure. This Alpine Quartz specimen must be the equivalent of a Holy Grail for a Quartz collector.
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please
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please click
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CAL5-100 Calcite $975 SOLD
Dongpo ore field, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
48 cm x 34 cm x 17 cm; largest crystal is 9 cm
This 40-lb plate of lustrous, translucent, peach-pink Chinese Calcite will turn any home into a bonafide mineral museum. The crystals are pyramids of countless stacked cascades of “poker chip” Calcites, terminating in a perfect triangle tip, as can be seen in the lower left photo. It would be a safe mineral specimen for most kids (even big ones!) to touch because there are no delicate crystals they can break off. It currently resides near our kitchen table where we are able to admire it every day.
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click on images for larger views
please click
on images for larger views
QC5-1 Quartz on Chalcedony Stalactites $1495
Nasik, Poonah, Maharashtra, India
40 cm x 39 cm x 23.5 cm
Although my son appears to be holding this group of stalactites effortlessly, it weighs in at 44 lbs and is quite formidably prickly due to sharply euhedral Quartz crystals atop the elongated Chalcedony stalactites. Stalactites can capture the imagination of nearly anyone because they represent eons of geologic cave formations with the beautifully natural curves endowed by surface tension working on minute drops of mineral-laden fluids. This is an extremely aesthetic group which can instantly endow your home with the aura of a fine mineral museum - how better could one wish to decorate? In my opinion, the nicest compliment that my sister ever gave me was to say that my home looks like a museum.
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