Recently Handled Minerals

Super sharp and super brilliant pyrrhotite crystal cluster on calcite, quartz and sphalerite. Minor galena is also present. All crystals are free of damage. Ex Oliver Konczer collection #722.

An deep blue, very colour-saturated aquamarine from more recent finds in Vietnam. The color is EXTREME, and reminds me only of a very few Jos aquamarines I have seen in the past, quite more robust than aquas from Pakistan or Brazil. This elegant, cityscape cluster of vertical crystals is complete all-around and looks great in each angle. Only a low number was found, even less were clusters like the particular piece. It is pristine and has a fancy, pyramidal termination characteristic of this discovery. No significant damages to report.

Pristine doubly-terminated epidote crystal from Skardu. The crystal shows beautiful olive green colour and is mainly clear when backlight.

A tapering and slightly curved cluster of brilliant spinel twinned gold crystals.

Amazing gold crystals on a curved aggregate!

Lovely sandwich wulfenites up to 1.7 cm on edge from a classic find at the Ahumada mine, Mexico. The matrix is formed by drusy calcite and descloizite. Ex Anton Berger and Oliver Konczer collections.

A wonderful 6 cm botryoidal calcite aggregate on nicely contrasting dolomite matrix. Very 3-dimensional and complete on the sides. No damage. Ex Oliver Konczer collection.

A floater aggregate of doubly terminated, scalenohedral calcites is covered by beautiful, orange orpiment crystals on one side. The back side shows colourless, lustrous and translucent calcite crystals. No damage all the way around, ex Oliver Konczer collection #919.

What a stunning floater cluster of 2 generations of goethite crystals! The specimen is complete all around and very showy from multiple angles. My preferred angle is actually the exact opposite side of this wonderful picture taken by Albert Russ. Great aesthetics, no damage. Ex Oliver Konczer collection.

A thick, bent gold specimen featuring beautiful spinel twinned crystals on the front side.

What a fantastic European classic piece! Rosia Montana (Hungarian Verespatak) has produced the finest gold specimens ever to come from any European source. Unfortunately, the modern gold mining process does not give miners a chance to collect crystal samples any longer, and consequently the mines have not been producing new collector grade specimens for many decades. Great samples can only be found in old collections and museums, but they hardly ever show up on the market. This piece is one of the very finest i have ever had the pleasure to handle. A piece of mother rock covered by sparkling little quartz crystals is host to bright and beautiful gold leaves, forming a wonderful combination of modern aesthetics and classic style. The entire piece is richly covered by gold and very well balanced. A gorgeous classic piece!

WOW! This is one of the biggest alpine phenakites i have ever seen from any alpine locality. Three crystals, in almost parallel growth form an excellent rare cluster. The bottom side includes just a little bit of white granite matrix, it is not broken or contacted. The stepped terminations give special character to this gorgeous piece. What a highlight for every alpine collection!