International Minerals #26

Super rare and super special - look at this amazing amethyst-japan-law-twin-scepters! There is no term for this outstanding variety of quartz yet, and no words to describe the rarity. Only very few pieces have been found, and this one is an excellent sample in thumbnail size.

A bunch of super glossy anatase crystals up to 13 mm wide are nicely set on a snow-white albite matrix. No damage.

Wow! Red tourmaline at its best! Rubellite, opal, quartz, orthoclase and small phenakites form a gorgeous composition that reaches the top level of balance and aesthetics. The colour is an open and vivid magenta-red, it glows just in the sun or regular daylight, even without any backlight. Only less than half a dozen of tourmaline pockets on earth have ever produced a red hue of that brightness and intensity. There is one repair on the crystal group in the center, no restoration and no damages on the terminations. What a wonderful specimen, a dream of every tourmaline collector!

What a marvellous specimen of spessartine garnets on smoky quartz crystals! An uncountable number of gemmy and lustrous spessartine garnets is scattered on orthoclase and lovely little smoky quartz crystals. One big smoky crystal with a well isolated garnet placed in the perfect position pops out and gives the piece a clear focal point. No significant damage to report. A striking palm size specimen of great visual impact!

Pyrite is quite a common species, but as so often a special shape and arrangment make ordinary things truly special. This specimen features two large and a bunch of smaller pyrite crystals set in beautiful balance with nicely contrasting white calcite. The pyrites show a very pleasing combination of cubic, octahedral and trapezohedral faces that really sets them off the crowd. Great balance and visual impact! Ex Kurt Wintersteiger collection.

Gorgeous and complete clear cube with stunning trapezohedron bevels on the corners perched on calcite crystals. Fantastic clarity and no damage!

Wonderful bright green titanite twins up to 29 mm resting on white calcite and albite crystals. The piece is in great condition and shape, there is no significant damage to report.

What an amazing and odd combination - quartz scepter heads perched upon a first generation of prase crystals! The crystals are actually no scepters in a crystallographic sense, they are more or less even more special and rare. They represent an homoepitactic overgrowth of a second generation after a layer of disruption. Only one pocket has been found and only a few dozen specimens of this style have ever been recovered on Serifos island, Greece. Black, elongated ilvaites complete the paragenesis of this outstanding specimen. No damage.

Wonderful bundles of sharp and pointed calcites resting on dolomite/sphalerite/chalcopyrite matrix layers. The crystals show a very beautiful and distinct style, resembling the famous wheat sheaf rhodochrosites from N'Chwaning mine, South Africa. Only very few carbonate pockets have ever produced that distinct and very pleasing bundle style. The piece is in excellent shape and condition.

Gorgeous clear aquamarine standing free and upright on a lovely quartz and feldspar matrix. The termination is sharp and pristine, and even more interesting, it shows stunning bevels all the way around. Small riebeckites are included in the lower section, and another aquamarine crystal on the lower left side completes the ensemble. No damage. Ex Kurt Wintersteiger collection.

WOW! What a huge fluorite (edges measure 8.3 x 8.1 cm) perched on white calcite and quartz crystals. The composition of this piece is just mesmerizing, the colour is a splendid open green hue, and the zoning along the edges drags the eye to the corners in a rotating order. A second smaller cube pops out on the lower right side at an angle and just pronounces the size and predominant position of the larger one. A gorgeous addition to any cabinet sized fluorite collection!

Brucite is one of very few species in the mineral world that feature a truly pure and intense lemon yellow colour. This specimen is a complete floater and in pristine condition all around. Sparkling yellow balls of brucite rest on a layer of white brucite what sets them off to another level of beauty and aesthetics.