China!

A selection of 60 specimens from various recent Chinese finds-- including examples from various recent fluorite discoveries and pieces from a very good recent pyromorphite pocket.  


Also of note are a few novel oddities- celestite, Yaogangxian rhodochrosite, boulangerite included calcite, Inner Mongolian borates, among others.


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18CN01 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
15.3x 9.4x 5.4 cm
$0

A spectacular cabinet sized pyromorphite from a recent pocket at the Daoping-Yangshuo orebody. This area has been producing spectacular pyromorphite since 1999, though for much of that interval the color and crystal size have not been particularly good.  This one combines decent crystal size, *very* bright green  color, and great overall size to make for a display piece that will draw attention from across the room.









18CN02 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
6.8x 6.2x 3.2 cm
$0

A spectacular pyromorphite from a recent pocket at the Daoping-Yangshuo orebody, the color and crystal size of this piece are reminiscent of the original pieces from 1999.  









18CN03 Ferberite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
8.8x 4.6x 3.2 cm
$600

A beautiful cluster of dense, lustrous ferberite crystals from China.  Not 100% perfect, but displays very well-- if displayed from an angle, the spray-like appearance of the cluster becomes more visible, but if positioned to be shown directly from the front, then it looks more like a single, large crystal.  









18CN04 Fluorite
Xiayang Mine, Fujian Prov., China
10.5x 7.2x 4.0 cm
$585

A very beautiful fluorite specimen from recent finds in Fujian-- the color of this fluorite is spectacular, but as it is UV reactive, correct lighting is important.  This piece combines green, yellow, and bluish zones to produce an overall color that is electric.  Photographing this thing to capture the color took many attempts-- my regular camera/bulb setup captured a very poor representation, so after a few lighting/camera switches, I finally settled on the simplest method of all: an iPhone, with the crystals on a table next to an open window.

There is contacting on the reverse and a bit of peripheral damage on the sides (expected, as it had to be extracted) but it displays well from the front, and again, the color is spectacular.

In indirect sunlight, this piece glows.  I tried taking "normal" camera images with this one and then photoshopping it to approximate the original, but it just doesn't come close to capturing the saturation and depth of color-- plus, when it catches the light there is an internal glow that no amount of Photoshop can convey.










18CN05 Fluorite on Fluorite
Yiwu Co., Zhejiang Prov., China
9.8x 8.5x 3.2 cm
$265

A beautiful example of saturated green fluorite, with a secondary generation of grayish (light purple?) fluorite growing over certain faces.







18CN06 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
10.6x 6.8x 3.7 cm
$400

A beautiful cabinet sized fluorite specimen, with numerous cubo-octahedral crystals, all green with purple cores and a color that comes to life in daylight or equivalent lighting.

As with most of the fluorites in this update, conveying the color accurately is somewhat difficult-- I sold one piece form the lot and the customer wrote to tell me that what he received was better than the picture.









18CN07 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
5.2x 2.8x 1.9 cm
$365

A beautiful fluorite specimen, with a single crystal perched atop a pillar of matrix.  The crystal is damage free, and you can even see the crystallized faces where it grew to enclose the matrix.  The color is green with a purple core, and comes to life in daylight or equivalent lighting.

As with most of the fluorites in this update, conveying the color accurately is somewhat difficult-- I sold one piece form the lot and the customer wrote to tell me that what he received was better than the picture.  The color is closest to what is depicted in the two closeups-- these were taken with an iPhone in indirect sunlight, with no supplemental lighting. 









18CN08 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
4.7x 3.5x 3.5 cm
$335

A beautiful example of octahedral fluorite with cubic modifications and stepped faces, somewhat reminiscent of the more common material from Shangbao.  This piece comes from a recent pocket; I tried to find larger ones but they unfortunately had a certain messiness due to crystals that were too clumped together, or not positioned well on matrix.  









18CN09 Fluorite on Fluorite
Yiwu Co., Zhejiang Prov., China
12.7x 8.6x 2.8 cm
$385

A beautiful example of saturated green fluorite, with a secondary generation of grayish (light purple?) fluorite growing over certain faces.







18CN11 Rhodochrosite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
7.0x 5.5x 2.1 cm
$300

A very rare example of rhodochrosite from Yaogangxian.  These are obviously not as color saturated as the examples from Wuzhou Prefecture, but considering the sheer amount of material to come from Yaogangxian over the years, the continuing rarity of rhodochrosite from the mine makes these specimens something notable, particularly for a collector of the species.  

As a non-scientific gauge of how scarce these things are, there are only 6 Yaogangxian rhodochrosites pictured on Mindat, out of a total of over 1500 mineral specimens pictured for the locality.







18CN12 Rhodochrosite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
7.6x 4.5x 2.0 cm
$225

A very rare example of rhodochrosite from Yaogangxian.  This one has a sheared patch, but is still an excellent (and very rare) reference specimen. These are obviously not as color saturated as the examples from Wuzhou Prefecture, but considering the sheer amount of material to come from Yaogangxian over the years, the continuing rarity of rhodochrosite from the mine makes these specimens something notable, particularly for a collector of the species.  

As a non-scientific gauge of how scarce these things are, there are only 6 Yaogangxian rhodochrosites pictured on Mindat, out of a total of over 1500 mineral specimens pictured for the locality.







18CN13 Rhodochrosite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
4.6x 3.1x 2.5 cm
$165

A very rare example of rhodochrosite from Yaogangxian.  These are obviously not as color saturated as the examples from Wuzhou Prefecture, but considering the sheer amount of material to come from Yaogangxian over the years, the continuing rarity of rhodochrosite from the mine makes these specimens something notable, particularly for a collector of the species.  

As a non-scientific gauge of how scarce these things are, there are only 6 Yaogangxian rhodochrosites pictured on Mindat, out of a total of over 1500 mineral specimens pictured for the locality.







18CN14 Rhodochrosite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
4.4x 2.8x 2.2 cm
$0

A very rare example of rhodochrosite from Yaogangxian.  This one has a sheared patch, but is still an excellent (and very rare) reference specimen. These are obviously not as color saturated as the examples from Wuzhou Prefecture, but considering the sheer amount of material to come from Yaogangxian over the years, the continuing rarity of rhodochrosite from the mine makes these specimens something notable, particularly for a collector of the species.  

As a non-scientific gauge of how scarce these things are, there are only 6 Yaogangxian rhodochrosites pictured on Mindat, out of a total of over 1500 mineral specimens pictured for the locality.







18CN15 Rhodochrosite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
2.8x 2.2x 1.2
$0

A very rare example of rhodochrosite from Yaogangxian.  This one has a sheared patch, but is still an excellent (and very rare) reference specimen. These are obviously not as color saturated as the examples from Wuzhou Prefecture, but considering the sheer amount of material to come from Yaogangxian over the years, the continuing rarity of rhodochrosite from the mine makes these specimens something notable, particularly for a collector of the species.  

As a non-scientific gauge of how scarce these things are, there are only 6 Yaogangxian rhodochrosites pictured on Mindat, out of a total of over 1500 mineral specimens pictured for the locality.







18CN16 Plumbogummite ps. Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
10.2x 4.4x 2.7 cm
$385

A nice cabinet sized example of plumbogummite pseudomorphing pyromorphite.  The degree of pseudomorphing varies from piece to piece, creating various different specimen "styles" from this find.  On this one, plumbogummite seems to be more of a shallow alteration, meaning that the original shape of the crystals is better retained (the more completely pseudomorphed ones tend to be etched and melted).  This one is in very good condition, quite rich, and the overall form is actually quite visually pleasing as well.

Very good price, for the size.







18CN17 Plumbogummite ps. Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
5.0 4.0x 2.6 cm
$480

A very beautiful example of hexagonal pyromorphite crystals, that have pseudomorphed to light blue plumbogummite.  There are various "styles" of these specimens from different areas of the discovery all with different degrees of pseudomorphing.  This particular style is one of my favorites-- there is enough pseudomorphing present to appreciate the blue color of the plumbogummite, but the sharpness of the original pyromorphite crystals are retained.  For this type of piece, the crystals are also a bit larger than usual, and the specimen is more rich than average.







18CN18 Plumbogummite ps. Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
7.0x 3.9x 1.7 cm
$460

A nice example of plumbogummite pseodomorphing pyromorphite, from the major find made a couple years ago.







18CN19 Fluorite on Quartz
Jiangsu Prov., China
4.6x 3.0x 3.2 cm
$425

A beautiful example of octahedral fluorite with cubic modifications and stepped faces, somewhat reminiscent of the more common material from Shangbao.  This piece comes from a recent pocket; I tried to find larger ones but they unfortunately had a certain messiness due to crystals that were too clumped together, or not positioned well on matrix.

This one is displayable from a couple different angles and is damage free, though etching on the back means that is should be mounted as shown in the any of the pictures.









18CN20 Fluorite on Quartz
Fujian prov., China
5.6x 4.4x 2.7 cm
$195

A beautiful example of dodecahedral green fluorite nicely positioned on a plate of quartz crystals. No damage, excellent arrangement and overall layout, with good color.









18CN21 Calcite, Fluorite with Quartz
Guangxi Zhuag A.R., China
5.2x 4.8x 5.6 cm
$325

This piece is not very photogenic, but is quite beautiful in person. The piece is quite three dimensional, and so it is difficult to capture well in the 2D photographs. 

The fluorite is saturated green and octahedral, accented by goethite colored quartz stalactites and a couple honey colored calcites.  The calcites on this piece have a very distinctive, banded appearance.  I saw only one lot of this material, most examples were somewhat broken or just not pretty-- I did like the combination though, so I picked what I considered to be the best two examples.









18CN22 Calcite on Fluorite
Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
5.5x 5.0x 3.4 cm
$345

A nice example of green fluorite accented by numerous honey colored calcites.  The calcites on this piece have a very distinctive, banded appearance.  I saw only one lot of this material, most examples were somewhat broken or just not pretty-- I did like the combination though, so I picked what I considered to be the best two examples.  Contacted on the reverse.







18CN23 Fluorite
Yiwu Co., Zhejiang Prov., China
14.8x 7.0x 2.5 cm
$350

A very saturated green plate of octahedral fluorite from recent finds in Zhejiang Prov.







18CN25 Cuprite
Fengjiashan Mine, Daye Co., Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China
5.6x 3.4x 3.5 cm
$165

A nice sample of octahedral cuprite crystals from the Fengjiashan Mine.  Native copper examples are seen from here every now and then, but decent cuprite has always been something of a rarity-- the main find was of the hairy chalcotrichite variety back around 2004, these octahedrons have been found on a few occasions since then.







18CN26 Celestite
Yunnan Prov., China
5.6x 3.2x 2.6 cm
$175

An unusual specimen from a small new find in southwestern China, a cluster of blocky blue celestite crystals.  Most of the celestite on the market comes from Madagascar or various Midwestern US localities, these are interesting reference pieces from a new location-- I would imagine this would be of interest to collectors of Chinese minerals.







18CN27 Celestite
Yunnan Prov., China
4.8x 3.2x 2.1 cm
$0

An unusual specimen from a small new find in southwestern China, a cluster of blocky blue celestite crystals.  Most of the celestite on the market comes from Madagascar or various Midwestern US localities, these are interesting reference pieces from a new location-- I would imagine this would be of interest to collectors of Chinese minerals.







18CN28 Celestite
Yunnan Prov., China
4.3x 3.4x 2.1 cm
$135

An unusual specimen from a small new find in southwestern China, a cluster of blocky blue celestite crystals.  Most of the celestite on the market comes from Madagascar or various Midwestern US localities, these are interesting reference pieces from a new location-- I would imagine this would be of interest to collectors of Chinese minerals.







18CN29 Boulangerite in Calcite
Yindu Mine, Chifeng Pref., Inner Mongolia A.R., China
6.5x 4.2x 3.3 cm
$265

The best example from a small find of boulangerite included calcite crystals-- some of the boulangerite is visible on the surface of the cluster as well.  This looks a lot like the classic material from Herja, Romania but is actually something new from China.







18CN30 Fluorite
Xiayang Mine, Fujian Prov., China
15.4x 10.1x 5.0 cm
$465

A cabinet sized example of deep green fluorite from recent finds at the Xiayang Mine.  Most fluorite from this area is a somewhat sickly dark olive color, this one is somewhat brighter and has a slight blue hue mixed in with the green.  In natural or daylight equivalent lighting, the color is particularly deep.  As with many of the fluorites in this update, capturing the color of this piece was a real challenge-- between day fluorescence, light temperatures and types, and inexplicable color shifts by digital camera sensors.

In the end, the closest approximation was a somewhat unclear cellphone image taken under indirect sunlight with no supplemental lighting. 

The bottom right crystal has some ugly etching, this can be removed, trimmed off, or left as is. I am selling this in straight-from-the-mine condition, it has not been prepped or even cleaned much-- after such treatment, it's the sort of thing you'll see on other websites for 3-ish times the price.







18CN31 Fluorite on Fluorite
Yiwu Co., Zhejiang Prov., China
9.8x 5.8x 2.5 cm
$165

A nice example of fluorite on fluorite from a recent find in Zhejiang Province.  This piece consists of a plate of saturated green fluorite, with a second generation of light purple fluorite grown over it.







18CN32 Fluorite on Fluorite
Yiwu Co., Zhejiang Prov., China
11.5x 6.4x 2.0 cm
$220

A nice example of fluorite on fluorite from a recent find in Zhejiang Province.  This piece consists of a plate of saturated green fluorite, with a second generation of light purple fluorite grown over it.  The last picture is what it looks like in a light box, with some back lighting.









18CN33 Fluorite
Fujian prov., China
6.0x 4.2x 3.2 cm
$245

A brilliantly colored, blue-green fluorite on quartz from Fujian.  Most of the fluorite from this area is a sickly olive green, but some examples have much deeper hues.  This one combines excellent color with damage free, cubic crystals that have octahedral modifications. 

The color is particularly bright in indirect, natural sunlight or something that mimics it.









18CN34 Fluorite on Quartz
Fujian Prov., China
9.2x 6.6x 4.8 cm
$335

A beautiful example of bright green dodecahedral fluorite on a quartz covered matrix, from recent finds in Fujian Province.  This is one of 3 from the lot that I selected for this update--- there is no damage, the crystals have good color, and I particularly liked the position of the main crystal at the very tip of the specimen.









18CN35 Fluorite on Quartz
Fujian Prov., China
5.1x 3.7x 2.7 cm
$135

A nice example of fluorite one uartz, from recent finds in Fujian Province.  This one has a nicely isolated, dodecahedral green crystal positioned right on the center of the specimen.







18CN37 Olshanskyite
Shijiangshan Mine, Linxi Co., Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
3.9x 3.4x 2.3 cm
$165

A rich example of olshanskyite from the recent best-of-species find.

To put the magnitude of this find in perspective, the last time I saw the species mentioned in a new find, it was with the Japanese henmilites over 10 years ago, and the accessory olshanskyite that occurred with on those specimens were micro crystals that required magnification to see.  







18CN38 Quartz incl. Hedebergite
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
3.0x 3.6x 3.5 cm
$85

A nice example of quartz included with hedenbergite, arranged into a nice starburst cluster.









18CN39 Garnet on Diopside
Hebei Prov., China
3.1x 2.2x 2.1 cm
$85

A great thumbnail sized example of garnet on diopside from a recent find-- I'm not sure quite which garnet species this is, but it's still a very nice example from the occurrence, and the contrast with the green diopside makes for a beautiful display.







18CN40 Ilvaite, Quartz incl. Hedebergite
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
4.2x 3.6x 3.8 cm
$85

A nice cluster of quartz crystals, turned green by minute hedenbergite inclusions.  This cluster seems to have crystalized over an already existing cluster of narrow, black ilvaite crystals, which are poking through the quartz, and add a degree of contrast, together with the white surface alteration on the ilvaite.







18CN41 Ilvaite, Quartz incl. Hedebergite
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
5.2x 4.7x 4.1 cm
$95

A nice cluster of quartz crystals, turned green by minute hedenbergite inclusions.  This cluster seems to have crystalized over an already existing cluster of narrow, black ilvaite crystals, which are poking through the quartz, and add a degree of contrast, together with the white surface alteration on the ilvaite.







18CN42 Fluorite
Xiayang Mine, Fujian Prov., China
3.8x 3.2x 3.1 cm
$125

A nice example of deep green fluorite from recent finds at the Xiayang Mine.  Most fluorite from this area is a somewhat sickly dark olive color, this one is somewhat deeper and has a slight blue hue mixed in with the green.  In natural or daylight equivalent lighting, the color is particularly deep.  As with many of the fluorites in this update, capturing the color of this piece was a real challenge-- between day fluorescence, light temperatures and types, and inexplicable color shifts by digital camera sensors.

In the end, the closest color approximation was a somewhat unclear cellphone image taken under indirect sunlight with no supplemental lighting (the last image). 









18CN43 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
5.5x 3.2x 3.3 cm
$285

A beautiful cluster of fluorite crystals from a recent find in Jiangsu Province.  These are cubooctahedral crystals with great transparency, good green color and light purple cores.







18CN44 Fluorite
Xiayang Mine, Fujian Prov., China
8.5x 7.2x 4.8 cm
$100

A beautiful example of fluorite on matrix from recent finds in Fujian.  This piece has a cluster of centrally positioned cubic crystals with octahedral modifications, bright green with slight, light purple phantoms.

As with most pieces from this locality, the lighting makes a huge difference in the color-- the best color is achieved by displaying in indirect sunlight, or the artificial equivalent.







18CN45 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
6.4x 3.4x 2.8 cm
$125

A beautiful example of fluorite form a recent find.  The crystal is a light green cubooctahedron with a purple core; the color is most vibrant in indirect sunlight or equivalent lighting.







18CN46 Fluorite
Jiangsu Prov., China
5.2x 4.0x 2.3 cm
$165









18CN47 Calcite, Fluorite with Quartz
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
13.5x 6.1x 3.1 cm
$450

A beautiful plate of bluish fluorite with purple phantoms with scattered quartz crystals, from he Yaogangxian Mine.  







18CN48 Fluorite
Xiayang Mine, Fujian Prov., China
5.6x 4.1x 2.6 cm
$185

A great example of VIVID colored fluorite from recent finds at the Xiayang Mine.  Most of the fluorite forms his location is a sickly olive color, this piece is deep green with strong blue hues.  There is a bit of etching near the bottom right and it is not perfect, but the color of this piece its incredible-- not something you often come across from ANY locality. 

 Lighting obviously makes a difference in the color-- in incandescent light this will look olive gray and rather dull.  It is best in indirect sunlight, or equivalent lighting.  The pictures depict how it would look if you held it a few feet from the window on an overcast day.  I bought a huge lot of the material, and there were only a few in there with this color.







18CN49 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
5.3x 3.5x 1.5 cm
$300

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN50 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
4.3x 3.3x 1.6 cm
$275

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN51 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
5.2x 4.0x 3.3 cm
$0

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN52 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
5.8x 4.7x 2.8 cm
$375

A beautiful example of deep green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN55 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
3.5x 3.3x 2.8 cm
$95

A beautiful example of hoppered green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN56 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
4.3x 3.2x 1.6 cm
$350

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.









18CN57 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
3.4x 3.2x 1.5 cm
$175

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN58 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
4.8x 3.0x 2.3 cm
$265

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN59 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
2.9x 2.9x 1.7 cm
$165

A beautiful example of hoppered yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.







18CN60 Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
3.0x 1.5x 1.7 cm
$115

A beautiful thumbnail sized example of hoppered, bright yellowish-green pyromorphite crystals from a recent pocket.  This locality has been producing pyromorphite off and on since 1999.  In that time, the quality has varried considerably.  I happened to come across a lot from a recent pocket-- the average luster and color were considerably better than most of what I'd seen over the last several years. I picked a few of my favorites to post here.









SMQ02 Quartz
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
9.1x 8.2x 4.1 cm
$3800

One of the top examples from a recent find, this is a quartz specimen unearthed sometime within the last 2-3 months. A number of pieces were made available by a wholesaler in Denver, but these were cherry picked by a (discerning) friend before the show, upon their arrival at the wholesaler’s warehouse. While the majority of what I saw in Denver were single crystals, many with chips or damaged terminations, the specimens here represent some of the best from the find.

More importantly, the arrangements are quite beautiful—this one is a pair of intersecting crystals forming a perfect X (the crystals are not in the same plane, however).

The crystals themselves are a very interesting color—their cores have segments that are are somewhere between a light smoky and amethystine, with a thick outer rind that is colored faintly green by what I assume are microscopic hedenbergite inclusions. The end result is this very unusual greenish quartz. Unlike many earlier finds, the surfaces on these pieces retain a high luster (not etched, as with most others) but still display the complex faces that care a characteristic of quartzes from this mine.

I got over 70 pieces in this cherry picked lot, this one stood out even among those. 








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