Recently Handled Minerals
Scharrn, Hollersbachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 8 x 5 x 2.5 cm
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A deeply coloured, tall smoky (almost morion) crystal is accented by a smaller sidecar crossing at the base. Gorgeous luster and striations on the sides. Note the extra faces, they are indeed spectacular. Great impact and condition.
Fieschergletscher, Berner Alpen, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 17.5 x 6.7 x 4.8 cm
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The dimension of this specimen is really remarkable - a more than 17cm tall quartz crystal with intense purple amethyst scepters on the tip and on the sides. The quartz crystal is matte and shows excellent contarst to the sharp and glossy amethyste scepter formations. Amethyste from alps are generally rare, but material from the Fiesch Glacier represents an outstanding rarity!
Bortelhorn, Binntal, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 10 x 3.1 x 2.8 cm
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Crazy unusual quartz scepter. The angles of the scepter head are indeed unique, like a reverse tessin quartz, I have never seen anything like it before. A few chlorite inclusions add a pleasing typical alpine look. No damage.
Scharrn, Hollersbachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 15.4 x 8.6 x 4.2 cm
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Elongated, sharp and lustrous smoky quartz crystals scattered on a schist rock matrix. Only very few fine pieces were found at this now defunct locale. This is an opportunity to get a great one! Ex Gerd Stefanik collection, his label is coming with the piece.
Wasenhorn, Wallis, Switzerland
Size: 3.7 x 2.6 x 3.6 cm
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A very rare green octahedron fluorite crystal from the Swiss alps. Great shape combined with frosted faces and pleasing green colour. There is no damage to report, the back side was sitting on a quartz crstal. The pocket was small and only very few fluorite pieces, less than 10 in total, were recovered.
Ahmad Abad Mine, Bahabad, Yazd Province, Iran
Size: 6.9 x 6.5 x 5 cm
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Deep orange blades of stacked wulfenites form a highly aesthetic cluster specimen! Tiny red vanadinites add even more sparkle. This is one of the very best small cabinet sized wulfenite specimens I have seen from this defunct mine. Very 3-dimensional, and great condition all around!
Antsira, Sahatany Valley, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
Size: 3.2 x 3.1 x 3.2 cm
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This is an excellent matrix sample from the recent find at Antsira, Sahatana valley. Perfectly terminated, deep red rubellite crystals up to 20 mm in length form a wonderful group on citrine quartz and white albite matrix.
Alnif, Tarhbalt, Er Rachidia Province, Meknès-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Size: 15 x 7.8 x 7.2 cm
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Wonderful quartz crystals with red hematite inclusions. Great condition and highly attractive composition!
Bergsig Farm 167 (Hohenstein), Omaruru District, Erongo Region, Namibia
Size: 4.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 cm
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From a famous discovery, which produced a low number of specimen crystalized in a special habit - spinel-law twinning. The colour is light blue in the center, and lavender in the outer zones. Along the edges you can see darker zoning, which tend to very deep violet. The crystal is resting on a small white plate of feldspat. It is complete and well formed all around. The saturation is better than average and also quality and clarity are remarkable for this find. The composition of the two freestanding crystals is very aesthetic! No significant damages to report.
Planggenstock, Göschenertal, Kanton Uri, Switzerland
Size: 7.5 x 6 x 5.8 cm
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Wonderful pink fluorites perched on matrix! Great colour and composition, the white granite matrix sets indeed a beautiful contrast. All the crystals are in perfect condition.
Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria
Size: 6.8 x 3.7 x 2.7 cm
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Superb epidote on bysolite floater crystal cluster! The epidotes show magnificent luster, as well as clarity and the typical olive colour when backlight. All crystals in the front are undamaged, just one small crystal in the rear side is not terminated. This is, however, insignificant and not at all visible from the front side. This piece comes from the fecent mining period and is one of the very best floater combination specimens found in recent years!
Sidi Lahcen Mine, Nador, Morocco
Size: 8.9 x 8.7 x 7.2 cm
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Admittedly thousands of baryte specimens have been found at Nador the last couple of years, but only very few of this beauty and excellent composition! A spray of doubly terminated crystals is perched on a nicely contrasting dark brown gossan matrix. Minor damage is present on a few side crystals on the back side, however, this is on the rear side only and does not affect any of the main display angles, as shown on the three pictures above. An amazing specimen that will for sure be considered an important "classic" piece in the future.