August: Pyromorphite, Tourmaline on Quartz, and Rhodochrosite

Culled from the Gabriel Risse Collection

This month we feature three new specimens from the new Gabriel Risse collection acquired by the Larson boys at this year’s Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines show in France.

Pyromorphite specimen, 3.9 x 3.4 x 2.5 cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

The first piece is a superb miniature pyromorphite specimen from the Bunker Hill Mine in Kellogg, Idaho. Classic rounded barrel hopper crystals with cavernous centers. Vivid greenish yellow color with one main crystal surrounded by various size intersecting crystals. This is a specimen you just keep spinning in your hand to see all the great angles and details.

Tourmaline on quartz specimen, 6.5 x 6.5 x 3.5 cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

The second piece is a completely unique tourmaline on quartz from Paprok, Afghanistan. The two tourmaline crystals are so gemmy, with a neon greenish-blue hue, that it would make any cutter drool with temptation. One crystal is doubly terminated with a subtle gradation from bluish green to greenish blue with a frosted pyramidal cap. The other crystal is thicker with a cleaved pink-and-white bottom and an upper half that is virtually flawless. If that weren’t enough, the two beautiful tourmalines are naturally attached to a doubly terminated quartz crystal.

Rhodochrosite specimen, 4.1 x 3.1 x 2.8 cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

The third specimen is an exquisite rhodochrosite from N’Chwaning, South Africa. Reminiscent of “The Snail,” this miniature is a radiating cluster of individual scalenohedron rhodochrosite crystals. The specimen glows from the heart with an intense red hue when backlit, almost revealing its near-flawless interior.

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June: Minerals of the Andes

Vivianite and Rhodochrosite

This month we feature some exceptional specimens from the central Andes Mountains in South America. The two mining regions highlighted are very remote and are found above 10,000 feet.

Vivianite specimen, 10 x 6.6 x 5.5 cm, Inventory #16370.

First, we have a striking cluster of vivianite crystals on matrix from the Potosí mining district in Bolivia. The long and slender acicular dark crystals form a small fan-like arrangement. Transmitted light reveals an intense evergreen hue in these clean, sharp crystals. The vivianite crystals lie on a botryoidal limonite matrix, and when the specimen is flipped over, a solid iron-pyrite core is revealed.The specimen comes from the Potosí deposit, which was one of the original sources for vivianite in Bolivia. Production from this deposit is very limited today, while most of the vivianite comes from other mines within the region. For more on vivianite, see Mindat.org.

Rhodocrosite specimen, 4.8 x 4.2 x 3.1 cm. Inventory #16371.

Our second featured mineral comes to us from the Pasto Bueno mining district in Peru. This rhodochrosite ball consists of intertwined scalenohedron crystals in a radiating-type fashion. This unusual golf ball-sized formation exhibits sharp, undamaged edges, lustrous faces, and some etched sections. This beautiful cluster of intensely-colored crystals glows with a neon pinkish-red hue, with transmitted light. The Pasto Bueno district is in the Pallasca province of Peru and actually includes seven different mines. Matching rhodochrosite specimens to the exact mine is a difficult task because of the array of crystal formations. Rhombohedral formation is the most common in this region, which makes this rhodochrosite specimen very unique. For more on rhodochrosite, see Mindat.org.

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April: Amethyst

Amethyst is not just a pretty little faceted purple stone you see spinning around on the television gem shows. It actually has a quite unique array of crystal forms that are found on several continents. From Brazil and Uruguay, to India and Siberia, and even here in the U.S. from the state of Georgia. This month we feature two completely different forms of amethyst.

Amethyst spray cluster, 11 x 8 x 2 cm. Inventory #16264. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

This amethyst, from Maharashtra, India has an unusual radiating pattern that sprays out from the center to individual terminations. Slender amethyst crystals, like tightly packed rays of the sun, fan out in a beautiful arrangement. Pleasing to the eye and easy on the checkbook.

Amethyst worm specimen, 11.5 x 11.5 x 5.4 cm. Inventory #16265. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

The second amethyst crystal comes to us from Artigas, Uruguay. This peculiar specimen features an overgrown druzy column that seems to be growing out of a geode-like base. Tiny amethyst crystals, densely packed, cover what was probably the inside of a vug. Then gravity or some internal force pushed a cylinder of amethyst melt into this worm-like form, ultimately being left to cool properly and giving rise to the network of sharp amethyst crystals.

Amethyst, in its many forms and memorable purple hue, is an obtainable mineral for the novice collector, but also very desirable for the veteran collector in search of the amethyst oddity.

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February: Pink Tourmaline and Diopside

This time we couldn’t help but feature two minerals—one to stay on topic with this year’s Tucson theme of Minerals of the USA, and another to show off our new glowing neon-green crystal from Tanzania.

Pink tourmaline. The larger crystal measures 6.2 x 2.5 cm.; the smaller crystal measures 3.3 cm. SOLD as of 2/4/08. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

This beautifully crystalline and glassy pink tourmaline specimen was dug by Pala International during our 20-year mining efforts at the Himalaya mine here in San Diego County. The mine produced all shapes, sizes, and colors of tourmalines, but this one seems to have some extra intrinsic beauty. It’s composed of two interlocking pink transparent crystals of tourmaline with some lepidolite sprinkled on top. One exceptional 9-mm. lavender lepidolite crystal is positioned right at the tourmaline junction and sits on a plate of white clevelandite.

Diopside from Tanzania. This specimen measures 3 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm. SOLD as of 2/4/08. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

This shocking diopside crystal seems to take on a neon glow of yellowish green. The crystal is a bit beat-up on the bottom but shows a short shiny shaft and is topped off by a glassy complex termination with windows into the heart of the gem. This diopside crystal is from the Arusha region of Tanzania where the massive tanzanite deposits lay. In rare cases tanzanite and diopside can be found on the same specimen as exhibited by Inventory #16009.

Both these specimens were SOLD as of 2/4/08. [back to top]

December: Dioptase and Quartz

This time we feature an exquisite dioptase and quartz specimen from the Tsumeb mine in Namibia. A delightfully sparkly piece with a larger version of drusy quartz coating the surface; individual crystals measuring about 3 to 4 mm. The little quartz crystals overlay a thin layer of dioptase, which can be seen from the back.

Lights on out front, showing the character of the quartz crystals. Specimen is 11 x 8 x 0.6  cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

At first glance the clear quartz crystals seem to have a soft green background, but when you use transmitted light the piece glows vivid green. The dioptase-laden back side brings out a different character when backlit, as seen below. The morphology of the underside seems to be a cast of some sort, creating the undulating surface.

Lights on from the back, showing the neon green of the dioptase layer. Specimen is 11 x 8 x 0.6  cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

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October: Malachite Pseudomorph

In this edition of Mineral News we feature a velvety malachite after azurite specimen with a big bladey crystal and intricate secondary clusters. This material has reportedly been pulled out of the ground in the last year. This piece is said to be one of the best specimens from the new discovery in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The quality of the new find has been compared to the material found in Arizona, from the Tiger Mine, and Namibia from the Tsumeb Mine. The true classification of this deposit is still being qualified amongst the great finds in Arizona and Namibia, but the specimens are definitely a refreshing sight. The malachite takes on a velvet luster and has a sheen that moves like a chatoyant gem.

Malachite pseudo after azurite, 8.3 x 7.6 x 2.8 cm. Price upon request. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

This new find of malachite pseudomorphs from Mexico seemed to be the only new find that was producing any noteworthy specimens at the show last month in Denver.

Visit our mineral search for a selection of malachites from around the world.

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August: Azurite

In this edition of Mineral News we feature an azurite cluster on matrix.

This dramatic specimen consists of four interlocking azurite crystals atop a dark black and green host. The azurite crystals are well formed blades with nice glassy terminations and sleek striated sides. The crystals have a blotchy dark blue-to-greenish blue exterior, with some electric blue translucency. The largest azurite crystal measures 33 x 20 x 9 mm.

Azurite specimen, 6.7 x 5.8 x 5.6 cm., inventory #14164.

This azurite specimen was collected in the Touissit Mine, south of Oujda, in eastern Morocco. This piece was originally part of Dr. Eric Asselborn’s collection. See more details on this azurite specimen here.

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June: Epidote

This month we feature a slender and exquisite epidote crystal from the historic Knappenwand Mine in Austria.

This epidote appears jet black and lustrous at first glance, but upon further examination evergreen hues start to shine through the translucent portions. This dark and intense specimen is in pristine form and is said to be the finest of its kind in private hands. Price upon request.

Epidote Crystal, 11.8 x 2.8 x 1.2  cm. Price upon request.

The Knappenwand Mine near Neukirchen am Grossvenediger, in the state of Salzburg, Austria, is situated in the remote Tauern Alps. This locality was discovered by a mountain guide in 1865. The epidote specimens were described as the “most beautiful epidote crystals ever found” by Professor Victor Ritter Von Zepharovich of Charles University in Prague (Bancroft 1984). This epidote was reportedly mined in the late 1800s and has been carefully handed down through generations of mineral collectors. The original label has even been preserved (see below).

Epidote label. Preserved mineral label circa late 1800s from Berliner Mineralien-Comtoir.

Visit our mineral search for a selection of epidotes from around the world.

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April: Alexandrite

In April we feature an alexandrite sixling from the Griddlestone Claim in Zimbabwe.

The alexandrite specimen has a striking appearance with one well-formed sixling on one side and a partial larger spray on the other side. This dark and intense specimen even shows a good color change. The arms of the sixlings seem to penetrate throughout the entire specimen in etched terraces. Price upon request.

Alexandrite specimen, 111.8  grams, 50.0 x 48 x 34 mm. Price upon request.

Visit our mineral search for a selection of alexandrites from around the world. Interested? Email us, or give us a call. [back to top]

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February: Red Beryl is Back

Gem-quality red beryl is really only found in the Wah Wah Mountains of southeast Utah. This variety of beryl is associated with a white volcanic rhyolite. The combination of red and white makes for some spectacular mineral specimens. To illustrate the rarity of fine quality specimens, it was reported that the Utah deposit yielded 0.5 ct. of facetable red beryl for every 1 ton of rock removed (Rex Harris 1976–1994). It was calculated elsewhere that every 1 ton of rock would yield 0.25 grams (1.25 ct.) of rough gem grade red beryl, of which 90% was lost in cutting, leaving a 0.125-ct. faceted gem (KEC 1996). To learn more on red beryl see Gems & Gemology (39:4, Winter 2003).

Red beryl well formed doubly terminated crystal on rhyolite matrix. Opaque crystal with strawberries-and-cream type appearance. Dimensions: 30 x 19 mm.

New at Pala. These two beauties were plucked from the top of the barrel, having the best and biggest crystals. The barrel does run pretty deep, however, so there are specimens ranging in all shapes, sizes, and quality; something for every level of collector.

The future mining of red beryl is uncertain, so this may be a good opportunity to acquire this endangered species.

Fine red beryl. This crystal is in excellent condition, with perfect hexagonal shape, translucent gemmy portions, and an intense cherry-red hue. Dimensions: 18 x 11 mm.

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December: Zoisite

In month we feature natural yellow zoisite from the Merelani Hills of Tanzania.

The first is a well formed crystal with an excellent multi-faced termination. The overall shape of the crystal follows suit for tanzanite, yet the color is quite unusual for zoisite, with hints of of green and gold shining through different axes. A great specimen to complement any tanzanite collection showing the unusual colors of zoisite. SOLD as of 8/20/08.

Yellow zoisite, Merelani, Tanzania, weight 79.48 cts., dimensions 2.8 x 2.3 x 1.3 cm. SOLD as of 8/20/08. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

Our second featured item is a rough and cut yellow zoisite pair. This interesting pair shows another side of zoisite. The rough piece has a nice euhedral shape, excellent termination, and the upper third of the crystal is very gemmy, making it a superb specimen. The faceted gem is a pleasing cushion shape showing blends of yellow and green. The couple is well priced for $6,400.

Rough and cut yellow zoisite from Merelani, Tanzania. Rough weighs 24.38 cts., dimensions 2.8 x 0.85 x 0.75 cm.; cut gem weighs 9.47 cts., dimensions 13.5 x 10.7 x 7.6 mm.

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October: Malachite and Fluorite

In October we feature two small, exquisite cabinet specimens.

The first is a classic old Tsumeb pseudomorph of malachite replacing azurite. This is an exciting piece; as can be seen, the view angle is good from either side. The specimen was exchanged from the Gene Meirans collection. Mounted on a custom Sunnywood lucite base, it is a fine show-quality piece for the advanced collector. Price: $5,500.

Malachite after azurite from Tsumeb, Namibia, 7 x 5 cm. (Photos: Wimon Manorotkul)

Our second featured piece is a vivid Moroccan fluorite on barite. This wonderful, bright, unusually colored specimen is very different from most Moroccan fluorites we have seen. Mined in 2004, it comes from the Taourirt Mine (near Taourirt, 108 km. south of Oujda, in the Oriental Region). It is very well priced at $400.

Fluorite on barite from Taourirt, Morocco, 8 x 7.4 cm.; the largest cube is 1.8 x 1.3 x 1.5 cm. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

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August: Kunzite and Aquamarine

We’re excited to offer a single kunzite crystal along with a pair of aquamarines (priced separately).

Kunzite crystal from Paprock Afghanistan, 12.2 x 10.7 x 1.3 cm.

This is a classic-form kunzite (above), from Paprock, Afghanistan. It is a complete, wonderful single crystal with no damage. Even the base is complexly terminated. The color is fine pink-purple down the “C” axis. Note the extra-sharp faces at the top of the crystal. An excellent cabinet specimen. Price: $2,800.

Double-terminated aquamarine crystal with feldspar orthoclase, 8.6 x 2.4 x 2.2 cm.

Above, an aquamarine from Shigar Valley, Pakistan. A beautiful and perfect specimen, with good color and proportions, doubly terminated. Brought to us in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines directly from Pakistan by a good friend of Pala International. Price: $2,400.

Double-terminated aquamarine crystal with feldspar orthoclase, 9.9 x 2.3 x 2.1 cm.

A second aquamarine from Shigar Valley, Pakistan. As with the above specimen, this is an exquisite, undamaged, doubly terminated specimen, delivered to us in Sainte-Marie from Pakistan by our friend. Bill Larson: “I love the termination complexity with the single rising above the base termination by a centimeter or so.” Price: $2,400.

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