Afghanite #AFG0001 Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan (Badakshan; Badahsan) Province, Afghanistan 95.2 mm x 77.0 mm x 33.1 mm $325 Order this Specimen
Description:	This is a very aesthetic cabinet specimen of afghanite, with doubly terminated crystals to 37mm on a marble-like matrix with scattered patches of pyrite that add an extra sparkle to the specimen.  The back has been sawn flat and the bottom is very flat naturally so it displays perfectly without the need for a stand.  This one was in my cabinet for years, it's from an older find, but very attractive still.

Elbaite #ELB0003 Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil 149.4 mm x 56.1 mm x 49.1 mm $200 Order this Specimen
Description:	This large cabinet specimen is basically a giant piece of a felspar crystal with two lustrous crystals of watermelon elbaite of 34mm and 48mm respectively, aesthetically perched on the front face.  The crystals are gemmy, transparent, and show great color and form, with deep pink cores and green outer rinds.  The shorter crystal is doubly terminated while the larger one has one termination.  Very nice for the price!

Rutile #RUT0001 Graves Mountain, Lincoln Co. GA, USA 66.2 mm x 46.1 mm x 41.7 mm $550 Order this Specimen
Description:	This specimen is a huge, lustrous, complex rutile crystal from THE locale for some of the finest rutile crystals in the world.  It's hard to find large Graves Mountain rutiles with such aesthetics.  The crystal shows amazing ruby-like internal reflections when viewed under a strong light, as can be seen in some of the photos.  These rutiles are unlike anything from Brazil or other locales.  It's very heavy, and sits beautifully in a very attractive viewing position all by itself.  The pics say it all, though they don't quite capture the true marvel of the crystal that you will behold once it's in your hands!

Friedelite #FRD0001 Sterling Mine, Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA 69.5 x mm x 54.8 mm x 41.3 mm $145 SOLD
Description:	I was thinking of saving this crystal for a Franklin update, but I just couldn't help taking pictures of it now.  It's basically massive reddish friedelite in a calcite matrix with minor franklinite and other typical Sterling Hill minerals.  But I have not seen another friedelite of this size with such purity.  It could easily be used to produced gems or cabs, but it's just a nice specimen as it is!  Again, I had this one in my cabinet for awhile.  It would be a nice addition to any Frankline suite!

Beryl var. Emerald #EMR0004 Malipo Co., Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China 153.0 mm x 62.7 mm x 33.2 mm $350 SOLD
Description:	This is a large cabinet specimen of long, prismatic emerald crystals on a quartz matrix from a classic Chinese locale.  Typical for the location, the crystals are not terminated, but they are very unique in that they show gemmy, transparent areas, and intense green color that grabs your attention.  Just look at the pictures, you can see that the specimen is very rich with crystals, which are well placed across the matrix, sometimes crossing over each other.  The back has been sawn flat on this one as well, but still requires a stand for best display.  Just an awesome piece!

Lazurite #LZR0001 Koksha (Kokscha) Valley, Badakhshan (Badakshan; Badahsan) Province, Afghanistan 50.9 mm x 34.1 mm x 28.5 mm $45 Order this Specimen
Description:	For the price, you can't beat it.  There are several partial crystals of dodecahedral lazurite, and one main crystal that is complete with sharp faces.  All the crystals show intense, uniform royal blue color, which contrasts nicely with the white marble matrix.  A classic piece, and it could be trimmed if one desired.  I think it looks quite nice as it is.

Uraninite w/ Fluorapatite #URN0001 Cardiff Uranium Mine, Wilberforce Ontario, Canada 61.9 mm x 48.2 mm x 24.2 mm $230 SOLD
Description:	Now this is a cool specimen for sure!  Yes, it is a bit radioactive, but it still looks great in a display case!  There is one dominant rectangular uraninite crystal protruding from a white matrix with numerous brownish-yellow fluorapatite crystals scattered about.  The uraninite crystal is very sharp, and shows the elongated cubic shape which is typical for the locale.  They say the rocks of Wilberforce are almost as old as the world itself, over four billion years old or so.  That's even older than Harvard University, I think!  Anyway, this is a classic uraninite specimen, one of the best of its kind that I have owned from the locale.

Rhodochrosite #RHC0005 Djayrem, Paraghandy Oblast, Kazakhstan 46.0 mm x 40.5 mm x 24.0 mm $125 SOLD
Description:	These rhodochrosites remind me of that remake of "The Blob" ... yeah, the original was better.  But they are so neat, all glassy and bubbly, like strawberry jam.  This one is of a respectable size, with fabulous color, and it displays great.  I'll let the pics do the rest of the talking!

Ajoite in Quartz #AJT0001 Messina mine, Messina District, Limpopo Province, South Africa 56.4 mm x 55.0 mm x 53.1 mm $335 Order this Specimen
Description:	These quartz crystals from Messina are classics by any standard!  This one has several patches of intense turquoise blue ajoite, and also has needles of copper included near the surface.  It is unpolished, with some termination faces being glass and others are more rough with a light surface coating.  The main termination has one face that is damaged, but this doesn't really take away from the fact there there is a lot of nice ajoite inside!  The bottom of the crystal shows a myriad of small parallel termination faces typical of these thicker crystals, which essentially makes this a doubly terminated crystal.

Elbaite #ELB0004 Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil 85.1 mm x 38.9 mm x 36.1 mm $350 Order this Specimen
Description:	This is a nice, fat elbaite that won't break the bank!  It is mostly a deep grass green color, with a glassy pink termination.  The main green part of the crystal is pure gem, but this crystal makes a much better display specimen than a source for green tourmaline!  The crystal has been etched naturally and shows a little iron staining in the pink portion, but the transition from green to pink to very gradual and pleasing.  This crystal was in my display cabinet right near the light and drew a lot of attention!  A great piece for a great price!

Back to Latest Updates Page!