This royal blue Lapis free form sculpture has intense, fabulous color. (an even richer blue in person) It has an excellent polish (done in Hong Kong, not in Afganistan), and the shape itself resembles a spinnaker sail. It weighs 36.4 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 boughtover 8  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. This is the same grade that cabs are cut from and set in gold rings. 

The Lapis carving is from  an extensive carving collection I purchased 4 years ago. It was carved in China around 1997. The quality of the Lapis matches well, they are the same height, and the quality of the Horse is excellent. It stands well by itself, being well balanced. I couldn't come close to replacing either of these two pieces on the market today.

ADAMITE8 - Adamite on Limonite
$ 295.00
Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico
cabinet - 10 x 9 x 9 cm

The Ojuela Mine is perhaps the most classsic well known mine in Mexico. Adamite was found here in the 1970's and again around 2009 when water levels dropped to reveal the levels where Adamite formed. This piece shows bright yellow acicular crystals forming inside a vug in the Limonite. The sprays average 1.5 cm long. An attractive specimen.

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

SMITHSONITE5 - Smithsonite
$ 325.00 NET
Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia
thumbnail - 2.3 x 2.8 x 1.2 cm

The Tsumeb mine was a prolific producer of copper based minerals for many decades. This Smithsonite is a most unusual form. It is a spray of highly reflective needle-like crystals that together have a striking pinkish-cognac color. No apparent damage. 

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

OPAL14 - Opal var. Hyalite
$ 135.00
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
small cabinet - 5.3 x 5 x 2.3 cm

This opal has a beautiful contrast of clear internal characteristics, and orange and red highlights within the piece. The clear areas will fluoresce green under short wave. The red/orange areas do not fluoresce as the iron quenches the fluorescence.  It has a range of different sized boytroidal bubbles, and a nice depth within the stone. No damage.

 

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(click on the pictures to enlarge)

CORUNDUM8 - Corundum var. Sapphire
$ 295.00
Potanino Mine, Ilmen Mountains, Russia
cabinet - 10 x 8.5 x 7 cm

A really cool example of a blue sapphire crystal in matrix from Russia. This is an old location I only see in collections once in a great while. It stands by itself nicely.

It weighs 491 grams / 17 ozs

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(click on the picture to enlarge)

DIOPTASE1 - Dioptase
$ 650.00
Altyn-Tyube, Karagandy Oblast, Kazakhstan
cabinet - 15 x 9 x 7 cm

This is a large dramatic example of Dioptase. It exhibits the best color from Kazakhstan, a rich emerald green. The dioptase from here is typically formed in seams within the host rock, and the crystals are commonly small, but intensely brilliant. 972 grams/ over 2 pounds. (I'm not quiting my day job to become a hand model, it just helps to know how large this piece is).

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