Mixed Minerals!

     A selection of mixed minerals from around the world.

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RDN02 Fluorite on Quartz
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
7.2x 5.6x 4.2 cm
$0

A very nice sample of fluorite on quartz, from the recent find.  Despite my obsession with Inner Mongolian rocks, I mostly stayed away from these because I found the blue color to be much too dark (unless displayed under very intense lighting) or the fluorite crystals to be far too jumbled. 

While this one has the same issue with dark color, the form is particularly nice.  There is a fairly large and very clearly defined main crystal, with other secondary crystals scattered around.  The arrangement of the contrasting quartz crystals also frames the piece nicely.

Please note, the blue color is best appreciable under strong sunlight, or strong lighting that mimics sunlight.











RDN04 Fluorite on Quartz
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
6.9x 2.7x 2.6 cm
$0

A very beautiful example of fluorite on quartz, with a colorless fluorite perched on a terminated quartz crystal. The quartz displays the complex lateral faces that are typical of the locality.

This is a very aesthetic combination piece-- there is lots of quartz and lots of fluorite from the locality, but good combination examples are a little harder to come by.











RDN05 Painite
Wetloo, Kyauk-Pyat-That, Mogok Township, Myanmar (Burma)
4.6x 1.7x 1.0 cm
$1200

No, I did not scoop this out of a cat's litter box (nothing like a tasteful sales pitch...)  This is an exceptionally large crystal of painite-- crystals 2 cm are hard enough to find, this thing is a monster at 4.6. As with the vast majority of these, the surfaces have heavy etching/ inclusions, but it does retain decent overall form-- and even a rough termination.

Up until several years ago, this rare borate was touted as the world's rarest gemstone, with fewer than 20 carefully documented crystals having been collected since its discovery in the 1950's.  Then in late 2005, the source was discovered, and they were finally made available to collectors.

If you wanted something larger than a thumbnail, this is a very, very rare opportunity to get one.  I've never handled one larger, and it is among the 2 or 3 largest from those pictured on Mindat.

It may look like a chocolate bar that's been lost in a sofa for years, but it's a good rock.









RDN06 Fluorite on Quartz
Huanggang Mine, Hexigten Banner (Keshiketeng Co.), Ulanhad League (Chifeng Prefecture), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
7.3x 3.6x 3.8 cm
$0

A very nice sample of fluorite on quartz, from the recent find.  Despite my obsession with Inner Mongolian rocks, I mostly stayed away from these because I found the blue color to be much too dark (unless displayed under very intense lighting) or the fluorite crystals to be far too jumbled. 

While this one has the same issue with dark color, the form is particularly nice.  The main crystals are distinct, and all show quite good luster by the standards of the find.  The arrangement of the contrasting quartz crystals also frames the piece nicely.

Please note, the blue color is best appreciable under strong sunlight, or strong lighting that mimics sunlight.









RDN07 Smoky Quartz
Val Giuv, Surselva, Graubunden, Switzerland
5.6x 3.6x 3.9 cm
$365

A beautiful small cabinet specimen of very sharp and exceptionally transparent smoky quartz, from the Swiss Alps.











RDN08 Rhodochrosite with Elpidite
Mont Saint-Hilaire, Rouville Co., Québec, Canada
4.2x 4.0x 2.4 cm
$285

A pair of flattened rhodochrosite crystals from Mont Sant Hilaire, showing the triangular form that is typical for this locality, but virtually unheard of from anywhere else.

This is a particularly nice miniature specimen-- the crystals are front and center, and exceptionally well balanced visually on their matrix.  The elpidite also adds a nice contrast and makes it much more stereotypically Mont Sant Hilaire... 











RDN09 Calcite
Thomasville Quarry, York Co., Pennsylvania, United States
9.1x 5.4x 5.5 cm
$0

A nice sample of calcite from Pennsylvania, a state whose minerals are not often seen on the international market, except for the odd Pyromorphite from Phoenixville.

This is a particularly nice calcite for the area, it displays as shown but when viewed from he top (as in bottom right image) there is an indent where it grew against another crystal.











RDN10 Barite
Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Scott Co., Iowa, United States
11.0x 6.1x 2.2 cm
$225

A very nice example of barite from the Linwood Mine.  By now you have all seen examples from this occurrence, but a relatively small number had these odd, complex faces and slightly more yellowish color, and were referred to as "solution barite".

This is a particularly good example, the main termination is perfect, and a second one is partially visible where the crystal sits on its matrix.  There a couple small edge scuffs.

Apart from producing some of the largest American barite crystals ever found, this is one of the few well known localities in the US state of Iowa, and is also known for its spectacular marcasite included calcite specimens.







RDN11 Plumbogummite ps. Pyromorphite
Daoping-Yangshuo Orebody, Guilin Prefecture, Guangxi Zhuang A.R., China
3.0x 1.8x 1.4 cm
$265

A beautiful "toenail" sized specimen, consisting of a crossed pair of hoppered pyromorphite crystals, whose terminations have pseudomorphed into beautiful light blue plumbogummite.

There is a clean break where another crystal appears to have been once jutting out from the right side of the front crystal.

All in all however, it's a beautiful little miniature.







RDN12 Scheelite
Huya Village, Mt. Xuebaoding, Sichuan Prov., China
5.5x 3.9x 2.7 cm
$275

A nice octahedral crystal of bright orange scheelite, on a muscovite matrix.  This is a slightly older piece, displaying what is considered better color for the locality.







RDN13 Barite with Stibnite
Xikuangshan Sb deposit, Lengshuijiang Co., Loudi Prefecture, Hunan Province, China
6.1x 4.8x 2.7 cm
$150

A nice doubly terminated barite crystal, very sharp and unusually damage free for the locality.  The back has a number of stibnite crystals with altered surfaces.  

A very sharp and clean example of this material.  This piece likely dates to the 90's or early 2000's.







RDN14 Calcite
Yunnan Prov., China
10.5x 7.0x 4.5 cm
$285

An unusual but very aesthetic calcite formaiton, from China.











RDN15 Vauxite
Siglo XX mine, Llallagua, Bustillo Province, Potosi Department, Bolivia.
3.8x 2.9x 0.8 cm
$265

A nice specimen of vauxite, with somewhat brighter color than most of what has come out recently.  This piece was collected around 2011, and was the best piece from a group that I purchased at that time. Like most, this consists of a thin plate of crystals.

The lighter green crystals visible int he closeups are paravauxite.







RDN16 Barite
Linwood Mine, Buffalo, Scott Co., Iowa, United States
5.8x 3.5x 2.1 cm
$145

A very transparent crystal of barite, on matrix.  Unlike most barite specimens from this locality, the main crystal does not back up to its sedimentary matrix, but rather sits atop it.  As a result, it is not heavily included and clouded by sedimentary particles, meaning that on this one, you can see clearly through it to the matrix it sits on.









RDN17 Quartz
Dal'Negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia
16.8x 8.2x 4.0 cm
$335

A pair of diverging quartz crystals, with a very faint green color.  Although it bears a strong resemblance to the pieces from Inner Mongolia (and on this website, the probability would certainly point to it being Chinese) it is Russian.

It kind of reminds me of a pair of abnormally fat asparagus stalks... or abnormally skinny artichokes.  









RDN18 Calcite
Sokolovskiy Iron Mine, Qostaney Oblysy, Kazakhstan
8.2x 5.2x 4.8 cm
$200

A yellowish twinned calcite on matrix, from the famous 90's finds at the Sokolovskiy Mine, in Kazakhstan.  There are a couple small scratches and nicks, but the piece is as shown.







RDN19 Chrysocolla ps. Selenite (?)
Lupoto mine, Lubumbashi, Katanga Copper Crescent, Shaba, D.R. Congo
6.5x 4.6x 3.8 cm
$0

A bright blue-green pseudomorph of chrysocolla after something else-- I've seen them labeled as being after selenite, malachite, and azurite, but I don't think anybody knows for sure.

This one has a couple broken crystals (most do,) but it is not obvious enough to really detract from the specimen.  I also liked it because the crystals were relatively distinct. 









RDN20 Tourmaline
Pyin Gyi Taung, Male, Singu Township, Pyin-Oo-Lwin District, Mandalay Division, Burma (Myanmar)
2.3x 2.1x 1.9 cm
$225

A nice thumbnail sized tourmaline crystal, with a bit of matrix, from Burma.  There is a shallow chip near the termination, but it displays exactly as shown.











RDN21 Andradite var. Demantoid
Antetezambato, Ambanja Dist., Diana Region, Antsiranana Prov., Madagascar
4.2x 3.6x 2.6 cm
$365

A rich sample of demantoid garnets from the famous mangrove swamp find made around 2009, and which continued until about 2 years ago.

The story varies, but the most common one holds that the initial discovery was made by a couple fishermen who noticed some small green rocks in a tidal mangrove swamp.  Whatever the case, the find quickly led to thousands of people rushing to the swamp, hoping to strike it rich.  Workings would have to be abandoned daily when the tide came in, only to resume once the water left again.  Needless to say, the mangroves were ruined. 

This is a nice sample from this now played out find-- there are some small chips on the edges of some of the crystals, but it displays exactly as shown, as the color is very good.  Please note, the color will vary with light-- best in sunlight and light bulbs that mimic it, and progressively worse under fluorescent and incandescent lighting.







RDN22 Quartz incl. Brookite
Kharran, Baluchistan, Pakistan
4.1x 2.3x 1.8 cm
$185

A really interesting example of brookite included quartz, from Pakistan.  The crystal is contacted on the back, but displays as shown from the front.  I have seen pictures of these, but this was the first time I actually had the opportunity to buy any-- there were three available (non perfect) but I got the better two, and this is one of them.







RDN23 Quartz incl. Brookite
Kharran, Baluchistan, Pakistan
4.5x 2.6x 2.5 cm
$0

A really interesting example of brookite included quartz, from Pakistan.  The crystal is contacted on the bottom and does have some damage, but displays as shown.  I had seen pictures of these, but this was the first time I actually had the opportunity to buy any-- there were three available (non perfect) but I got the better two, and this is one of them.









RDN24 Shattuckite
Tantara Mine, Shinkolobwe, Katanga, Dem. Republic of Congo
6.0x 5.2x 1.4 cm
$165

A plate of blue shattuckite, from recent Congolese finds.







RDN25 Calcite
Daye Copper mine, Daye Co., Huangshi Prefecture, Hubei Province, China
13.0x 14.0x 9.2 cm
$0

A nice cluster of 3 calcite "pagodas" from the Daye Mine.  A very nice large cabinet example of this sort of formation.









RDN26 Fluorite
Yaogangxian Mine, Yizhang Co., Chenzhou, Hunan Prov.,, China
6.2x 5.2x 3.4 cm
$465

Not perfect, but very beautiful.  This piece shows a very clear purple-ish phantom with an irregular shape, seemingly suspended within a crystal that displays a wonderful bluish color.

It displays as shown from the front (there is a missing corner on the bottom and some edge chipping) and it is cleaved on the sides.  It is still very pretty, just not necessarily the most perfect thing out there....

 







RDN27 Fluorite
Auglaize Quarry, Junction, Paulding Co., Ohio, United States
11.3x 5.5x 6.8 cm
$335

A cabinet specimen of brown fluorite, lightly displaying the iridescence that the Auglaize quarry is famous for.  My understanding is that this is the result of a natural hydrocarbon coating.  Older material, from a quarry that has operated for the last 50 years and which continues to operate today.









RDN28 Copper
Mountain City Mine, Mountain City District, Elko Co., Nevada
7.9x 5.2x 2.1 cm
$165

A decent sample of crystallized copper from an unusual locality-- the Mountain City Mine in Nevada.









RDN29 Pyromorphite
Kamioka mine, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan
8.1x 7.1x 2.3 cm
$185

This is not a spectacular pyromorphite by any standard, but as an ex-pyromorphite collector, I have to say these Japanese pyromorphites are very, very hard to get as anything more than a small box of loose crystals.

This is a cabinet sample, sprinkled with numerous small crystals. Not particularly fine, but the sort of a thing a collector of either Japanese minerals (or more likely) of pyromorphite would appreciate. 











RDN30 Pyromorphite
Seigoritani Adit, Kamioka mine, Hida City, Gifu Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan
2.8x 2.6x 2.0 cm
$165

Another Japanese pyromorphite, this one from the Seigoritani Adit of the Kamioka mine.  I've seen a few pieces attributed to Kamioka in the past, but never one to this adit.

It is not a spectacular pyromorphite by any definition of the word, but as an ex-pyromorphite collector, I have to say these Japanese examples are incredibly hard to get, particularly as anything more than a small box full of loose crystals.

An interesting locality piece, for the pyromorphite collector.







RDN32 Hutchinsonite
Quiruvilca Dist., Santiago de Chuco Prov., La Libertad Dept., Peru
7.5x 5.1x 2.3 cm
$385

An rich specimen of this rare thallium bearing mineral, hosting numerous elongated bright crystals sprinkled on a matrix of matte gray sulfides.  

Most of the hutchinsonite specimens in collections were recovered from this locality in the 70's and 80's (many had the crystals occurring on orpiment), though over the last 2-3 years I have intermittently seen examples from more recent workings.  

Hutchinsonite is a sulfide of thallium, lead, and arsenic and is probably one of the few minerals containing thallium that you can actually find a decent specimen of.







RDN33 Hutchinsonite
Quiruvilca Dist., Santiago de Chuco Prov., La Libertad Dept., Peru
19.5x 9.7x 8.5 cm
$850

An rich specimen of this rare thallium bearing mineral, hosting numerous elongated bright crystals scattered around a large matrix.  The crystals are somewhat camouflaged against their matrix, but when you hold the piece in person you will see a lot of them.

Most of the hutchinsonite specimens in collections were recovered from this locality in the 70's and 80's (many had the crystals occurring on orpiment), though over the last 2-3 years I have intermittently seen examples from more recent workings.  

Hutchinsonite is a sulfide of thallium, lead, and arsenic and is probably one of the few minerals containing thallium that you can actually find a decent specimen of.









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