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. 

TOURM39 - Tourmaline Var. Elbaite
$ 735.00 SOLD NET
Cruzeiro Mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil
small cabinet - 7.3 x 1.75 x 1.6 cm

This beautiful Tourmaline is nearly 3 inches long. It has four color zones! It's double terminated with Red terminations on either end. The length of it is a green-blue (more green near bottom and more blue near top).It has a wild red termination, where multiple terminations are "sprouting," off near the top. The other end is more plain but red nonetheless.  It is in great condition with a small chip off the backside of one of the secondary crystals on the primary termination. It weighs 22 grams. 

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LARIMAR3 - Larimar aka Blue Pectolite
$ 175.00 SOLD
Filipinas Larimar Mine, Los Checheses, Sierra de Barouco, Barahona Province, Dominican Republic
small cabinet - 8.8 x 6.8 x .8 cm

Larimar aka Blue Pectolite, is similar to petrified wood. It is only found in the Dominican Republic, and shares its distinctive color with the Caribean ocean. This piece is cutting rough quality, and a slab of this quality is not easily found on the market as many cabs could be cut from it, and made into jewelry. It is not polished, so you can feel the natural texture of the stone (a very light layer of mineral oil is all). it weighs 72 grams. 

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EFFENBERGERITE1 - Effenbergerite in Sugilite
$ 495.00 SOLD
Wessels Mine, Hotazel, Kalahari manganese fields, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa
small cabinet - 5.7 x 4.2 x 3.8 cm

A dozen or more Effenbergerites were a new find at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in 2012. Prior to this find, large examples were micromounts. This piece is a huge example of this rare Barium copper Silicate, occuring in Sugilite. It's unusual to have such a rare mineral also have such a striking, attractive color.  It weighs 66 grams (about 2 ozs).

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

QUARTZ44 - Quartz w/ phantom
$ 55.00 SOLD
Betafo, Madagascar
miniature - 4.0 x 1.2 x 1.2 cm

Here's a great example of a small pocket of weird phantom quartz we got 6 years ago. It is double terminated with a bright phantom inside it. There is yellow, white and green colorations to the phantom. Bright quartz, and no damage.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

QUARTZ43 - Quartz w/ phantom
$ 75.00 SOLD
Betafo, Madagascar
miniature - 4.2 x 1.2 x .8 cm

Here's a great example of a small pocket of weird phantom quartz we got 6 years ago. The quartz is clear and bright and really sets off the internal prismatic phantom. It has crystallization on its other termination, and no damage. 

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

QUARTZ46 - Quartz Var. Amethyst Scepter w/ Anatase
$ 65.00 SOLD
Betafo, Madagascar
miniature - 4.2 x 1.3 x 1.1 cm

This was a better piece from a small pocket of Quartz found 5 years ago in Madagascar. It is a Scepter with a purple hue to it, but what makes it unusual are several small octohedral Anatase crystals attached to it's shaft. It's the only occurence of Anatase on Quartz I've encountered from Madagascar.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

TANZANITE5 - Zoisite Var. Tanzanite
$ 265.00
Arusha, Merelani, Tanzania
thumbnail - 2.3 x 1.4 x .8 cm

Tanzanite is a gem form of zoisite, found only in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Mining is very deep, as gemstones easily go for $250 - $1000+ per carat. Crystals are also produced, of varying quality given largely that anything with a gemmy area within it gets cut. Also most are dinged, so getting pristine specimens is very difficult. Most pieces are heat treated, which mimics the natural geology that gives the crystals that amazing blue-purple color. 

This crystal is an amazing contrast of black graphite and yellow Tanzanite. It is a natural color of Tanzanite (if heated it would turn pale blue). It is large at nearly an inch tall, it weighs 20.50 carats.

Overall in great condition, there is some very minor scuffing along a back edge (visible under microspope), not eye-catching.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

TANZANITE4 - Zoisite Var. Tanzanite
$ 215.00
Arusha, Merelani, Tanzania
thumbnail - 1.6 x 1.1 x .7 cm

Tanzanite is a gem form of zoisite, found only in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Mining is very deep, as gemstones easily go for $250 - $1000+ per carat. Crystals are also produced, of varying quality given largely that anything with a gemmy area within it gets cut. Also most are dinged, so getting pristine specimens is very difficult. Most pieces are heat treated, which mimics the natural geology that gives the crystals that amazing blue-purple color. 

This crystal has a natural steely blue color with a yellow accent in its base. It has a little scraping on it back edge. It weighs 8.65 carats.

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