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Mimetite
Pingtouling Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China
(2003)
In 2003, a limited find of mimetite hit the market, making its debut at that year's Tucson show. At the time it was uncertain whether these specimens would continue to be found, as was the case with the Guangxi pyromorphites discovered only 3 years earlier, or whether the find represented a smaller, one time occurrence. We now know that the latter was the case, and even a subsequent expedition by Collector's Edge failed to unearth additional specimens. What few specimens remain are all from the initial 2003 find.
At this year's Tucson show, only a few dealers had specimens, and most were either sub par, or overly priced. I was fortunate enough to find a few good samples, and am posting them here.
For additional information in the locality, see The Mineralogical Record vol. 38 no.2
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CNM1 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $585
A matrix specimen with numerous bright, prismatic mimetite crystals on a limonite matrix. At the top of the specimen sits a compound crystal with a pinacoid termination on the reverse.
As the larger and most desirable mimetite crystals were easily detached from their matrixes, only a small percentage of the recovered specimens were on matrix.
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CNM2 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $950
A superb "toenail" with bright mimetite crystals radiating in all directions from their matrix.
As the larger and most desirable mimetite crystals were easily detached from their matrixes, only a small percentage of the recovered specimens were on matrix.
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CNM3 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $450
Numerous mimetite crystals perched on a limonite matrix.
As the larger and most desirable mimetite crystals were easily detached from their matrixes, only a small percentage of the recovered specimens were on matrix.
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CNM4 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $465
A rich and beautiful miniature, with many bright crystals on a limonite matrix.
As the larger and most desirable mimetite crystals were easily detached from their matrixes, only a small percentage of the recovered specimens were on matrix.
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CNM5 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $495
An large cluster of mimetite crystals from the major find of 2002 . Since the initial find, these mimetites have all but disappeared form the market, and the larger crystals, which were only found over a very short interval, are especially desirable.
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MK1 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $265
An exceptionally large mimetite crystal from the major find of 2002 . Since the initial find, these mimetites have all but disappeared form the market, and the larger crystals, which were only found over a very short interval, are especially desirable.
The crystal displays a skeletal growth pattern on the reverse.
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MK2 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $200
An exceptionally large mimetite crystal from the major find of 2002 . Since the initial find, these mimetites have all but disappeared form the market, and the larger crystals, which were only found over a very short interval, are especially desirable.
The crystal displays a skeletal growth pattern on the reverse.
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CNM6 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $165
An exceptionally large mimetite crystal from the major find of 2002 . Since the initial find, these mimetites have all but disappeared form the market, and the larger crystals, which were only found over a very short interval, are especially desirable.
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CNM7 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $145
An exceptionally large mimetite crystal from the major find of 2002 . Since the initial find, these mimetites have all but disappeared form the market, and the larger crystals, which were only found over a very short interval, are especially desirable.
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CNM8 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $168
A matrix specimen, with a single crystal anchored at its pinacoid termination, surrounded by numerous smaller ones. A good number of the smaller ones are missing terminations, but it keeps the price down.
The crystal displays a skeletal growth pattern on the reverse.
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CNM9 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $435
A rich cabinet specimen, covered in bright, pruismatic mimetite crystals. There is a contact on the base, where it was anchored to whatever it was that this piece was broken off from.
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CNM10 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $225
Many elongated, yellow crystals on a limonite matrix.
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CNM11 Mimetite Pingtouling
Mine, Bapu, Guangdong Province, China $35
A smaller crystal that I discovered lying around in my basement. Same as the above, just scaled down...
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