This gem tourmaline is from the Smale collection. He bought the entire pocket in the late nineties in Washington D.C. from Pierre LaVille, (the manager of the mine). This is the last from this pocket I was able to get from Dr. Smale (I had bought and sold about 20 from him). This crystal is gem rough, which makes it very hard to photograph properly. It has a Maroon-red and green color.  The termination is pristine. There are  two incredibly small chips out of the backside (only indicated with a fingernail running down the edge), doesn't take away from the crystal at all. Many of the crystals from this pocket didn't terminate well, however this one is sharp. It is gorgeous, and very hard to find on the market anymore. 

TOURM15 - Tourmaline Var Elbaite, with Quartz and Lepidolite
$ 125.00 (=~ AUS$ 194.12) SOLD
Pederneira Mine, Sao Jose Da Safira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
thumbnail - 3.1 x 2.1 x 1.6 cm

This is a special miniature. It shows a green and red "watermelon," Tourmaline covered in clear Quartz crystals and Lepidolite (even a little Clevelandite). I've only seen a handful of these, apparently from the same pocket at the Pederneira mine (about 3 years ago).  It comes mounted on an acrylic base. It's in great condition, the lowest Quartz has a tiny Wilbur on it if you look with a hand lens.

---

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

OPAL6 - Opal
$ 145.00 (=~ AUS$ 225.17) SOLD
Shoa Province, Ethiopia
thumbnail - 2.3 x 2.0 x 1.8 cm

Fire opal has been found in Ethiopia for many years, however this new deposit also known as 'desert opal,' typically has a white silica base, compared to the previous finds that were brown or occasionally black. Desert opal can be brilliant and colorful. It is a new deposit, and as such untested for very long time horizons (like Australian). This is a brilliant "nugget," of fire opal. The color play is red, green, yellow and blue. The fire is way better in person. This is a high grade piece that is getting hard to get now. It weighs 31 carats. 

---

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

OPAL5 - Opal var. crystalline
$ 295.00 (=~ AUS$ 458.11) SOLD
Jalisco, Mexico
thumbnail - 1.4 x 1.2 x .8 cm

This is a stunner of a solid, highly polished red fire opal from Mexico. I get these directly from the miner who does all the work himself. I have to buy his entire selection to get the right price. This is the best piece from an entire parcel of several hundred carats of fire opal. It is the most valuable variety: red with fire, and pieces like this are usually priced at $100 per carat and up in Tucson. The color play is predominantly red and green with a hint of yellow. It weighs 5.1 carats. 

---

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

PREHNITE4 - Prehnite with Apophyllite
$ 35.00 (=~ AUS$ 54.35) SOLD
O & G Quarry, Southbury, Connecticut
thumbnail - 6.3 x 4.0 x 1.8 cm

This cute piece comes from the O and G quarry in Connecticut that I believe is closed now. It is "dusted," with Apophyllite. The color of the Prehnite is lime green, and is well crystallized. There is some contact on either side of the piece where it was attached to the pocket, and crystallized on both sides.

---

(click on the pictures to enlarge)

TOPAZ6 - Topaz var. Imperial
$ 55.00 (=~ AUS$ 85.41) SOLD
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
thumbnail - 2.5 x 1.1 x 1.2 cm

This piece came out of Hawthorneden's unprepped area. It has good color, especially down its C axis (first pic). Imperial Topaz is found in Oro Preto Brazil. It is an unusual color for Topaz as colorless is the most common. It's weighs 7.3 grams. It has a little rough patch below the termination on the backside of the crystal.