International Minerals #22

What a gorgeous cluster of blood-red crystals. Clear, sharp and pointed like shark teeth. It is an excellent miniature from the classic old finds.

A clear and sharp quartz crystal, 9 cm tall and 3 cm wide, standing in upright position on mother rock. White pericline crystals set a lovely contrast on the side. However, the best feature are the rutile and chlorite inclusions in the lower half, quite typical for the locality, but rarely that rich and beautiful.

This is a superb miniature, featuring a cluster of reddish topaz crystals perched on rhyolite matrix. The main crystal measures 1.8 cm in height. Sharp edges all around, no damage. Much more 3-dimensional than the picture above suggests.

A huge massive rubellite set on light smoky quartz. The tourmaline is 71mm tall, 54mm from left to right side and 45mm from front to back - this dimension and the volume are mind-blowing! Also the color is exceptional - much more intense as we usually know from the locality. The faces are lustrous and the contrast to smoky quartz is really amazingly delicate! No repairs, no damages - just perfect!

Wonderful, super-glossy ironroses scattered on a piece of snow-white albite matrix. What a great contrast. The balance and composition are also fantastic. A very similar crystal habit has once been found in the European alps, they are considered to be a titanium rich variety of the species, possibly even ilmenite. Great aesthetics and condition, no damage.

A very aesthetic assemble with an isolated, exposed and freestanding main crystal at the top of matrix. The crystal is sharp terminated, glossy and shows a great colour change in white and warm lights. No damage.

Amazing aggregate of bright yellow brucite crystals perched on mother rock. The brucite has extraordinarily fine luster, especially i the top section. The matrix is covered by a bright light gray layer, possibly also brucite or another magnesium bearing species. It sets a pleasing contrast and makes this piece truly outstanding. Only very few pieces of this beauty and size have been recovered. No damage to report.

Superb cluster featuring two blue-cap tourmalines in slightly diverging position. The colour in the center section is a pleasing and bright turquoise-blue. It comes from old finds about 15 years ago, no more like this have been found since then. It is in excellent condition, no contacts, no restoration, no repair.

Lovely, eye-candy rubellite crystal from Malkhan. In perfect condition, great colour and clarity.

This is a complete floater cluster of twinned selenite crystals, well crystalized all the way around. Like an explosion, sharp and gemmy selenites arise on a ball of smaller selenite crystals. No damage.

Stunning bi-colour cluster featuring a pleasing mix of purple and green agate spheres. White calcite is attached on the sides and sets a nice contrast. Highly lustrous and very 3-dimensional!

Wulfenite is loved! This is a gorgeous miniature from San Carlos Mine, Mexico. The crystals have a fiercy hot orange colour, almost red, very unusual and rare. It just glows in the light, the best term to describe it is maybe bright neon-orange. The main crystal is gemmy and fat, it measures 6 mm in thickness. Just perched on top of the specimen, the aesthetics could not be better. The botryoidal mimetite matrix makes this a truly outstanding combination. Great condition and very eye-candy!