I acquired this amazing sphere about 10 years ago when I first heard that the one mountain in the world that produces Charoite had been turned into a crater and no more would be produced. Since then, suppliers have depleted their stores (especially the AA grade like this) years ago. A sphere this size of this quality are not available on the market at all, nor will they ever be again. Ten years ago, there were enough large pieces of high quality rough to warrant the waste involved in creating a sphere this large. Nowadays, only cabs are made with this grade. It is a richer purple in person. It has a few small patches of yellow Tinaksite, and a couple small spots of black Augite. What makes this sphere valuable is overall "crystalline," quality of the Charoite (reflective, purple).  

It weighs a substantial 2,692 grams - that's 5 pounds, 15 ozs. It's diameter is 5 inches (a large softball?) A special piece. 

HEULANDITE2 - Heulandite with Stilbite
$ 42.00 (=~ € 39.28)
Jalgon, Maharashtra State, India
small cabinet - 5.3 x 4.2 x 3.1 cm

An attractive specimen of silvery white heulandite and white Stilbite. 

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

SIKHOTE8 - Sikhote-Alin Meteorite
$ 245.00 (=~ € 229.13) SOLD
Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Eastern Siberia, Russia
small cabinet - 6.3 x 3.7 x 2.5 cm

This nickel iron meteorite fell on Feb. 12, 1947 in the Sikhote-alin Mountains of Eastern Siberia, Russia. It is the largest observed meteorite fall in history, with over 23000 kg raining down on the earth in the form of iron shrapnel and the more rare individual fallen meteorites such as this one. A couple years ago, the Russian government has made it difficult to export, and diggers I knew said there was almost nothing left to find. 

This piece has two distinct sides. One side ihas small regmaglypts and the other has a smoother wavier texture. It has a pleasant, dynamic shape reminiscient of an artist's sculpture. It weighs 110 grams.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

LAPIS2 - Lapis Lazuli (hand polished)
$ 65.00 (=~ € 60.79) SOLD
Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
small cabinet - 5.5 x 3.2 x 2.5 cm

This royal blue Lapis sculpture has fabulous color, excellent polish (done in Hong Kong, not in Afganistan), and the carving itself resembles a spinnaker sail. It weighs 71 grams. It has just enough gold pyrite, and a tiny bit of white marble to accentuate the intense blue that only comes from the best Lapis. I pulled a handful of the best pieces from a large purchase of hundreds that I bought three years ago (since then the quality has been terrible). It exhibits the right combination of color, polish and shape. Set it on a shelf, or on your desk and enjoy its natural beauty.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

TOURM41 - Tourmaline Var. Elbaite
$ 95.00 (=~ € 88.85) SOLD
Aruscuai, Minas Gerais, Brazil
miniature - 3.6 x .6 x .5 cm

Gemmy, blue and red tourmaline. Weighs 12.12 carats (2.42 grams). Great termination, no damage (one spot of contact near base).

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

AQUA11 - Beryl Var. Aquamarine with Muscovite
$ 695.00 (=~ € 649.99) SOLD
Nagar, Hunza Valley, Gilgit District, Northern Areas, Pakistan
cabinet - 13 x 7.5 x 8.0 cm

This is a large Aqua specimen. It weighs 642 grams (1 pound 6.65 ozs). It has four large crystals and seven or eight smaller crystals. It has great color, and a bright, reflective surface. I've pictured the interpenetration of the central 5 cm crystal with a smaller aqua that terminates in the center of the host crystal. No visible damage, there is some contact along the sides. 

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

EMERALD6 - Beryl Var. Emerald
$ 95.00 (=~ € 88.85) SOLD NET
Muzo Mine, Muzo, Vasquez-Yacopí Mining District, Boyacá Department, Colombia
thumbnail - 1.05 x .6 x .5 cm

This emerald crystal has great color, it "says," Emerald even from across the room.  Gemmy near the termination, well crystallized. One micro chip below the edge of the termination (after I used a microscope to examine). A great value (a friend of mine came back from Columbia and so I'm passing on the good deal I got). It weighs 3.28 carats.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

APATITE6 - Fluorapatite
$ 95.00 (=~ € 88.85) SOLD
Mercado Mine, Durango, Mexico
thumbnail - 2.4 x 1.0 x .8 cm

This apatite is found in the "market Mine," nearby the famous Ojuela mine nearby Durango, Mexico. I have been buying these crystals for over 12 years, and finding gemmy crystals in good condition is difficult, primarily because the crystals are not in their original matrix, as the deposit collapsed millions of years ago. Occasionally clusters are available, and they look like someone mixed up apatite crystals in cement and let it dry. Production has been terrible over the last 3 years. This one was mined about 6 years ago.

This is a beautiful, gemmy Apatite crystal. It is ultra-bright and distinctly yellow. There is a micro chip below the termination edge (not eye catching). These gemmy crystals are really hard to find anymore.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

QUARTZ47 - Quartz Var. Rutilated (rough and cut)
$ 195.00 (=~ € 182.37) SOLD
Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet - 8.6 x 5.7 x 5.5 cm

Rough rutilated Quartz isn't really available on the market, given it's value as cutting rough. (the Chinese are buying it at the mine and shipping right to China). I found this chunk in an old collection from the 1960's - 1970's. The rough is incredibly good- definately cutting rough! Thick golden needles of rutile in smoky quartz with small chips of Hematite. Deep inside the piece there are "rays," of rutile that may be part of a star. The rough weighs 327 grams. I've paired it with a 27 gram super bright Cab from the hawthorneden stock. 

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