Idaho and a little Tsumeb

A selection of specimens from Idaho, including some older examples of hard to find material dating to the 1960's.  There are also several Tsumeb specimens in this update.

List
Grid
Page 1

TID01 Dioptase
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
6.4x 4.7x 2.1 cm
$400

A nice specimen of dioptase from Tsumeb.  The crystals are nicely spaced.  There are a couple damaged crystals, but it is not immediately noticeable-- basically it's just as pictured.







TID02 Cerussite
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
4.5x 3.1x 2.2 cm
$395

A nice snowflake-like specimen of cerrusite from Tsumeb









TID03 Mimetite ps. Cerussite
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
4.7x 3.1x 2.8 cm
$620

A nice example of this rare Tsumeb pseudomorph.  The orange mimetite retains the original shape of the twinned cerussite quite well.  It has an old label stating that it was purchased in 1982. 









TID04 Dioptase
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
5.3x 3.1x 2.3 cm
$395

A specimen of dioptase from Tsumeb, hosting a particularly large crystal.  The main crystal does have a chip, but overall the piece is exactly as shown.







TID07 Cerussite
Tsumeb Mine, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
2.6x 2.2x 2.2 cm
$85

A nice thumbnail sized sample of cerussite from Tsumeb. Contacted on the reverse, so can only be displayed from the front.







TID09 Anglesite
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
3.9x 3.2x 2.2 cm
$385

This anglesite is probably one of my favorite pieces in this update-- when people think of Bunker Hill, the first thing that comes to mind is usually pyromorphite (unless then happen to be an especially patriotic American and recall the battle instead...) Often overlooked however, are the cerussites and anglesites that were also collected at this mine-- and they certainly rank among the US's best, particularly in the case of the anglesites.

This is a particularly fine miniature, and it is even accompanied by a collector's label with a hand written note on the back, attributing it to a 1979 purchase from Art Cooper, perhaps the major source of Bunker Hill specimens during the mine's heyday.  It appears a bit more 2D in the pictures.









TID10 Ilvaite
South Mountain Mine, Laxey, Idaho, United States
8.2x 5.5x 4.8 cm
$580

A rare cabinet sized Ilvaite from Idaho-- despite a few broken crystals, this is an exceptional ilvaite for the United States-- seldom are they quite this large or rich.  This piece is accompanied by an old collector label attributing it to a 1975 purchase for $35-- that's actually quite a bit for a mineral specimen at the time.









TID11 Pyromorphite
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
3.7x 3.4x 1.9 cm
$850

An unusually large hoppered pyromorphite crystal for this locality, from finds made in the 1980's. No damage.







TID12 Cerussite
Level 9, Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
5.2x 4.0x 3.9 cm
$425

A nice specimen of cerussite from the Bunker Hill Mine.  Before the famous pyromorphite finds, this mine produced some of the US's best examples of cerussite and anglesite-- this is a particualrly nice example.

This piece has good documentation-- it comes with an old collector label with a handwritten note on the back, attributing it to a 1981 purchase from Art Cooper, for $16.  At the time, Art Cooper was the predominant supplier of Bunker Hill specimens.  It also gives quite precise location information, citing the"090-23-21 Stope" as the source of the specimen. 











TID13 Anglesite
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
3.9x 3.9x 3.3 cm
$485

A very well formed specimen of blocky anglesite from the Bunker Hill Mine.  Anglesites from this location are among the US's best, with the only real competition coming from mines in Arizona and Masachusstes, both of which stopped producing specimens decades before Bunker Hill (and Bunker Hill closed in 1988, though by that time the anglesites were not being found).

This piece comes with an old collector label attributing it to a 1980 purchase from Art Cooper, the predominant supplier of Bunker Hill specimens at the time.  Classic and rare material. 









TID14 Silver on Cerussite
1100 Level, Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
6.0x 5.0x 6.4 cm
$325

A very rare sample of silver from the Bunker Hill Mine, with a few clusters of dendrites on a mostly cerussite matrix.

Although silver was one of the primary targets of mining activities that commenced on the property between 1885-1887, actual specimens of the native metal are quite rare.  The mine, composed of several separate properties that were later combined, operated under various owners until 1988, and at one point contained the largest metal smelter in the world.  After its closure, the mine became a Superfund Site, largely due to lead contamination.  The byproducts of that lead mining are perhaps the best known to the mineral collecting community-- first and foremost the pyromorphites, followed by the cerussites and anglesites. 

This piece comes with a collector label attributing it to a 1977 purchase from Art Cooper, the predominant supplier of Bunket Hill Minerals at the time.









TID16 Cerussite
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
7.1x 7.0x 3.6 cm
$165

A sample of cerussite from the Bunker Hill Mine that predates the bulk of the pyromorphite finds that made the mine famous among collectors.

The mine, composed of several separate properties that were later combined, operated under various owners from 1887 until 1988, and at one point contained the largest metal smelter in the world.  After its closure, the mine became a Superfund Site, largely due to lead contamination.  The byproducts of that lead mining are perhaps the best known to the mineral collecting community-- first and foremost the pyromorphites, followed by the cerussites and anglesites. 

This piece comes with a collector label attributing it to a 1975 purchase from Art Cooper, the predominant supplier of Bunker Hill Minerals at the time.







TID17 Aquamarine on Feldspar
Near Centerville, Boise Co., Idaho, United States
3.2x 2.5x 1.9 cm
$135

A rare matrix specimen, featuring a light blue, doubly terminated aquamarine perched on the tip of a feldspar crystal.  A nice miniature for the locality-- again, particularly as it is on matrix.  Ex. Steve Pullman collection. 







TID18 Ludlamite
Blackbird Mine, Lemhi Co., Idaho, United States
8.5x 5.5x 0.7 cm
$285

A very old ludlamite specimen, from the locality that probably produced the best American ludlamites.  This piecce has hundreds of small, very transarent green crystals on a plate of sulfide matrix.

Compared to similar pieces from this locality that I have seen, I think this is quite cheap.... of course, I have the Bolivian examples in the back of my head as I'm pricing this.

It comes with an old collector label, attributing it to a 1960 purchase from a Dave Jordt.












TID22 Anglesite
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, United States
5.0x 4.3x 2.3 cm
$145

An interesting sample of flattened anglesite crystals on matrix, from the Bunker Hill Mine.  This piece has accompanying label stating that it was purchased from Art Cooper in 1979-- at the time, cooper was one of the predominant sources of Bunker Hill material. 







TID23 Ilvaite on Calcite
Laxey Mine, Idaho, United States
2.6x 1.7x 2.0 cm
$95

A nice thumbnail featuring a lustrous, singly terminated ilvaite crystal on a partial calcite crystal.  These are considered to be the US's best ilvaites, though they have not been found in decades.  This one is accompanied by a label dating it to at least 1960.







TID24 Ilvaite
Laxey Mine, Idaho, United States
4.1x 2.8x 2.0 cm
$115

An old specimen of ilvaite, from the locality that produced what are considered to be the US's best examples of the species.  This is a miniature specimen composed of a cluster of block black crystals.







TID25 Ludlamite
Blackbird Mine, Lemhi Co., Idaho, United States
3.5x 2.6x 0.6 cm
$80

A thumbnail sized sample of ludlamite ona  sulfide matrix from Idaho-- these mainly came out in the 1960's.  The crystals are small, but the pieces from this locality are conisdered to be the best American ludlmaites







Page 1
Click here to see the latest Clearance Page (new specimens have CSC stock numbers)