TL01 Diamond (Macle twin, MATRIX!) 

Diamantina, Jequitioha River Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil

8.7x 8.3x 5.4 cm

$2200

A very unusual diamond on matrix from Brazil.  I have offered these in the past, and this time spoke to a well known Brazilian dealer who was able to provide me with more information about the locality, along with photographs of the actual mine site (photographs of his photographs are included below).  The entire river bed is composed of conglomerate along this stretch of the river, and the artisanal miners or "garimpeiros" as they are known in Brazil scour the area in search of diamonds.  This is the result. 

This specimen has a rather large macle twinned crystal embedded in the matrix.  I can obviously not give a carat measurement, but it measures approximately 7.5 mm across.

TL02 Diamond (MATRIX!) 

Diamantina, Jequitioha River Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil

7.4x 6.4x 5.3 cm

$695

A very unusual diamond on matrix from Brazil.  I have offered these in the past, and this time spoke to a well known Brazilian dealer who was able to provide me with more information about the locality, along with photographs of the actual mine site (photographs of his photographs are included above).  The entire river bed is composed of conglomerate along this stretch of the river, and the artisanal miners or "garimpeiros" as they are known in Brazil scour the area in search of diamonds.  This is the result. 

This specimen has a cubic crystal just over 5 mm on edge embedded in the matrix.

TL03 Orpiment with Barite

Quiruvilca Mine, Santiago de Chuco Prov., La Libertad Dept., Peru

8.8x 7.3x 4.6 cm

$850

A beautiful small cabinet specimen from a find made approximately 2 years ago.  I have looked around for a good specimen of this material, but was always disappointed by the amount of damage or the simply unattractive placement of the barite.

This piece however, is perfect.  The barite is damage free, and even more spectacularly, so is the orpiment.  Orpiment is notoriously suceptible to damage-- on the bortyoidal or compact crystalline masses, a small rub or slight impact with leave a lighter colored mark (think of the yellow scratches on the red-orange Eblurskiy orpiments).  This is a beautiful piece-- well balanced, and damage free.

TL04 Creedite on Fluorite

Mina Navidad, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico

8.5x 5.0x 5.0 cm

$1350

I have never posted a Mexican creedite on this website.  They may have been cool at the beginning, but for the last few years they have been sold wholesale.  

This one was different though...To begin with, these creedite clusters hardly ever occur on matrix, and those clusters with minor fluorite crystals interspersed among the creedit blades are considered the most desirable.  This piece has a fluorite matrix, with a creedite ball perched on top of it.  The fluorite is not a perfect crystal, though it does show faces.  This is because the fluorite occurs in massive form.  

This is truely a beautiful and unusual piece... I purchased it here in Tucson and put it on the shelf in my room (yes, I'm admitting to it) and I overheard several people commenting (positively) about it.

TL05 Azurite with Malachite

Bou Bekker Mine, Touissit, Oujda-Angad Prov., Morocco

15.0x 10.7x 5.0 cm

$750

A large cabinet specimen with very well formed azurite crystals on a malachite coated matrix.  I showed this piece to a dealer of  Moroccan minerals to ascertain the locality, and he told me that this locality had not produced specimens for a few years.

The individual clusters reach 2.3 cm, and while not the Tsumeb-esque type specimens from a nearby mine also in Toussit, I would say this is a pretty good azurite for Morocco, particularly compared to the specimens from Kerrouchine

TL06 Manganocalcite

Neimeng, Chifeng Area, Inner Mongolia, China

15.6x 12.3x 5.8 cm

$950

There have been several new finds at this Tucson show, but for what I have seen they are kind of unremarkable-- mostly just rarities.  This is my favorite of the new occurrences, and this is without a doubt my favorite piece purchased at the show.

There were several Chinese dealers who had these large clusters, but this was the only one with any other minerals/ (matrix?) attached.  It is reasonably large, but not the largest from the find-- I have seen them reaching approximately 9 inches in diameter (this one is more of a fan shape).  I would consider this to be the most beautiful; the white calcite draped across the front makes it very aesthetic.

TL07 Manganocalcite

Neimeng, Chifeng Area, Inner Mongolia, China

13.5x 7.3x 4.2 cm

$475

There have been several new finds at this Tucson show, but for what I have seen they are kind of unremarkable-- mostly just rarities. 

This piece is from a new find of manganocalcites in Inner Mongolia, in northern China.  This region has been recently quiet, as far as specimen production is concerned.  The vast majority of Chinese minerals have come from the central areas of the country, where the majority of the major ore operations are located.

I think these are quite beautiful, and as understated as they have been on the various show reports, I would consider them to be the best, truly "new" thing of the show... 

TL08 Manganocalcite

Neimeng, Chifeng Area, Inner Mongolia, China

11.8 x 5.8x 2.7 cm

$345

There have been several new finds at this Tucson show, but for what I have seen they are kind of unremarkable-- mostly just rarities. 

This piece is from a new find of manganocalcites in Inner Mongolia, in northern China.  This region has been recently quiet, as far as specimen production is concerned.  The vast majority of Chinese minerals have come from the central areas of the country, where the majority of the major ore operations are located.

I think these are quite beautiful, and as understated as they have been on the various show reports, I would consider them to be the best, truly "new" thing of the show... 

TL09 Hutchinsonite

Quiruvilca Mine, Santiago de Chuco Prov., La Libertad Dept., Peru

8.1x 6.9x 2.9 cm

$685

Hutchinsonite is a rare sulfide of thallium and arsenic.  This piece is from a small recent find, and has crystals sprays reaching 1.5 cm across.  I believe the last time specimens like this made it to the market was in the 1970's. 

This specimen is exceptionally rich, with hutchinsonite blades on two sides of the specimen.

TL10 Cuprite

Rubtsovskiy Mine, Altayskiy Kray, Russia

8.9x 6.7x 5.2 cm

$685

A cabinet specimen of cuprite with crystals reaching 1.2 cm.  Believe it or not, my price on this specimen is probably better than what the Russian dealers in Tucson are offering them for... I visited their rooms early on and found a couple that were priced reasonably.  I do not know the logic behind the pricing of these cuprites-- there were quite a few, and nearly identical specimens inches apart had price tags that differed by hundreds of dollars.  With a bit of patience I found 3 pieces to offer here.

This piece does have some damage, but is reasonably large for the find, and very rich.  At this price I would consider it to be quite cheap.

TL11 Cuprite

Rubtsovskiy Mine, Altayskiy Kray, Russia3.4 x 2.6x 2.4 cm

$300

This is one of the new cuprites from Russia.  They were available last year as well, so they are not truly "new," but the general consensus is that this year's production is better than last year's.  This is a nice miniature specimen, with crystals to 2 cm across.  

TL12 Cuprite

Rubtsovskiy Mine, Altayskiy Kray, Russia3.1x 2.9x 1.7 cm

$260

This is one of the new cuprites from Russia.  They were available last year as well, so they are not truly "new," but the general consensus is that this year's production is better than last year's.  This is a nice miniature specimen, with crystals to 1.9 cm diagonally.  

TL13 Huebnerite

Mundo Nuevo Mine, Pasacalla Prov., Ancash Dept., Peru

7.0x 7.0x 3.9 cm

$650

I have seen a fair amount of this huebnerite, it is not really uncommon as the find was quite prolific, but this piece is really good.  None of the quartz crystals are broken, and some show pretty good transparency.  The huebnerite is also not etched-- many of the huebnerites from this find suffered from excessive etching.  Others were very thin and got damaged during extraction and transportation, and still others had the huebenrites jumbled together too closely.  This one has none of those problems.

This locality has produced some of the world's best huebnerite; for the size range this is about as good as it gets.

TL14 Calcite

Dal'Negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia

17.9x 11.5x 7.0 cm

$585

Dal'Negorsk is one of my favorite mineral localities, not because it produces a wide variety of mineral species, but because of the tremendous variation in the habits of the few species that occur there regularly.  

This year the mine produced, among other things, a number of very large tabular calcites.  I picked up two of these, this is the larger one.  There is a tiny bit of matrix clinging to the bottom of the crystal. 

TL15 Calcite

Dal'Negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia

10.2x 8.8x 5.5 cm

$450

Dal'Negorsk is one of my favorite mineral localities, not because it produces a wide variety of mineral species, but because of the tremendous variation in the habits of the few species that occur there regularly.  

This year the mine produced, among other things, a number of very large tabular calcites.  I picked up two of these, this is the smaller one.  I liked this specimen because of scalenohedral calcites that frame the bottom of the crystal.  This and the preceeding specimen kind of stood out among the other Dal'negorsk minerals in the room... I couldn't decide which I liked better so I purchased them both.

TL16 Scheelite

Huya Village, Mt. Xuebaoding, Ping Wu Co., Sichuan Prov., China6.5 x 5.5x 3.6 cm

$430

A bright orange and quite gemmy scheelite, on matrix.  The color on this one is pretty good- not red (like the Pakistani ones) but definietely in the better color and geminess ranges of what has come from this locality.  The orange scheelite contrasts nicely with the gray matrix.

There were a few more scheelites in Tucson this year than usual-- I noticed that smaller crystals with better color commanded a premium over even larger crystals

TL17 Orthoclase, Smokey Quartz

Hirukawa Pegmatite, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

5.0 x 3.5x 2.2 cm

$285

Japanese minerals are seldomly seen these days, but I found this specimen of perfectly terminated orthoclase with minor smokey quartz that was collected 30 years ago.

This is a textbook example of the species, from an unusual locality.

TL18 Rhodozite-Londinite

Antsongombato, Betafo Region, Madagascar

5.2x 4.3x 3.0 cm

$200

A nice speicmen hosting 3 yellow londonite crystals on matrix.  I don't see specimens with multiple crystals too often... usually they are either off matrix, or on matrix as lone crystals.

TL19 Helvite

Tongbei, Fujian Prov., China

10.1x 6.1x 2.5 cm

$300

A small cabinet specimen, with four main crystals of orange Helvite.  These specimens come from the same locality that yielded the spessartine/ smokey quartz bonanza a few years ago.  The locality actually consists of a large granite hill.  At present, most of that hill has been carved away to excavate for specimens.

TL20 Helvite

Tongbei, Fujian Prov., China3.7 x 1.4x 0.9 cm

$150

An excellent thumbnail specmien, with crystals of orange Helvite on a pillar of matrix.

These specimens come from the same locality that yielded the spessartine/ smokey quartz bonanza a few years ago.  The locality actually consists of a large granite hill.  At present, most of that hill has been carved away to excavate for specimens.

TL21 Helvite

Tongbei, Fujian Prov., China4.1 x 2.3x 1.3 cm

$80

A nice thumbnail specimen, with a crystal of orange Helvite on matrix.  

These specimens come from the same locality that yielded the spessartine/ smokey quartz bonanza a few years ago.  The locality actually consists of a large granite hill.  At present, most of that hill has been carved away to excavate for specimens.

TL22 Parisite Pseudimorph

Mt. Malosa, Zomba, Chilwa Alkaline Area, Malawi

6.3 x 4.6x 5.1 cm

A rather large and very nice pseudomorph after parisite.  I spoke to the man responsible for bringing them out of Malawi, and he told me that an analysis of these specimens had concluded that they were a mixture of rare earth species including rhabdophane and bastnaesite, along with quartz.

This piece is reasonably large for the locality, and it has a couple other parisites branching out from the main crystal.  It's certainly not the prettiest stuff, but it's interesting and quite good for the locality.

TL23 Fluorite

De'An Mine, Jiangxi Prov., China

18.0x 14.5x 7.0 cm

$375

A large cabinet specimen from the major find of a couple years ago.  This one has many green fluorite crystals with purplish edges, typical of specimens from this find.  A big specimen, priced very cheaply.