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Enjoy !!
No.
Potos Bol 5071 From the impressive find of 2004, this specimen hosts two of the
rarest sulfosalts in the world, and the Potosiite crystals are some
of the finest in the worldd. This specimen is a highly attractive,
ridiculously rare, superb quality, crystallized specimen of the
triclinic lead, antimony, iron, tin sulfosalt Potosiite consisting
of highly lustrous, heavily striated, tabular, elongated,
"heart"-shaped twinned, AND "bent" blades sitting atop a
crystallized matrix of the equally rare triclinic lead, tin, iron,
antimony sulfosalt Franckeite. These species belong to the only
group of minerals that forms in naturally "round" or "cylindrical"
shaped crystals. For those of you who are unaware, the crystals of
Potosiite on this specimen are EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE for the species.
Before these new specimens were discovered, some of the largest
known crystals of Potosiite were massive, uncrystallized, granules
less than 1 mm. in most cases. This new find has completely
redefined the species of Potosiite. The crystals on this specimen
are NOT micros, you can clearly see them with the naked eye and they
are very distinct. Please note that even though these are huge
crystals, they are still breathtaking to view under the microscope,
and I've included some micro photos for your viewing pleasure. The
crystals of Potosiite from this historic find are undoubtedly the
LARGEST KNOWN POTOSIITE CRYSTALS IN EXISTENCE, and this specimen
hosts one of the single largest crystals of Potosiite in the world !
This piece would actually be a noteworthy specimen if it were only
comprised of Franckeite, and none of the Potosiite was present. I
know all you rarities collectors out there will appreciate the
tremendous significance of these crystals. The Potosiite has been
positively identified through X-ray diffraction. This is as good as
it gets for Potosiite folks, and to find a cabinet size piece such
as this is worthy of notice. I obtained the lion's share of this
material when it was found, and I have slowly been tricking out a
few pieces here and there to collectors, but this piece remains as
one of the finest pieces from the find, hands down. This material
may never be found again, and it is exceptionally difficult to come
by on the open market. I can say without fear of contradiction that
these Potosiite specimens will go down as one of the major finds of
any rare sulfosalt in the last 20 years. They are without a doubt
one of the most substantial discoveries in Bolivia in a long time. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 12.2 x 7.7 x 2.3 cm.
No.
Potos Bol 5072 From the impressive find of 2004, this specimen hosts two of the
rarest sulfosalts in the world, and the Potosiite crystals are some
of the finest in the worldd. This specimen is a highly attractive,
ridiculously rare, superb quality, crystallized specimen of the
triclinic lead, antimony, iron, tin sulfosalt Potosiite consisting
of highly lustrous, heavily striated, tabular, elongated,
"heart"-shaped twinned, AND "bent" blades sitting atop a
crystallized matrix of the equally rare triclinic lead, tin, iron,
antimony sulfosalt Franckeite. These species belong to the only
group of minerals that forms in naturally "round" or "cylindrical"
shaped crystals. For those of you who are unaware, the crystals of
Potosiite on this specimen are EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE for the species.
Before these new specimens were discovered, some of the largest
known crystals of Potosiite were massive, uncrystallized, granules
less than 1 mm. in most cases. This new find has completely
redefined the species of Potosiite. The crystals on this specimen
are NOT micros, you can clearly see them with the naked eye and they
are very distinct. Please note that even though these are huge
crystals, they are still breathtaking to view under the microscope,
and I've included some micro photos for your viewing pleasure. The
crystals of Potosiite from this historic find are undoubtedly the
LARGEST KNOWN POTOSIITE CRYSTALS IN EXISTENCE, and this specimen
hosts one of the single largest crystals of Potosiite in the world !
This piece would actually be a noteworthy specimen if it were only
comprised of Franckeite, and none of the Potosiite was present. I
know all you rarities collectors out there will appreciate the
tremendous significance of these crystals. The Potosiite has been
positively identified through X-ray diffraction. This is as good as
it gets for Potosiite folks, and to find a small cabinet size piece
such as this is worthy of notice. I obtained the lion's share of
this material when it was found, and I have slowly been tricking out
a few pieces here and there to collectors, but this piece remains as
one of the finest pieces from the find, hands down. This material
may never be found again, and it is exceptionally difficult to come
by on the open market. I can say without fear of contradiction that
these Potosiite specimens will go down as one of the major finds of
any rare sulfosalt in the last 20 years. They are without a doubt
one of the most substantial discoveries in Bolivia in a long time. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 9.5 x 8.0 x 3.2 cm.
No.
Potos Bol 5073 From the impressive find of 2004, this specimen hosts two of the
rarest sulfosalts in the world, and the Potosiite crystals are some
of the finest in the worldd. This specimen is a highly attractive,
ridiculously rare, superb quality, crystallized specimen of the
triclinic lead, antimony, iron, tin sulfosalt Potosiite consisting
of highly lustrous, heavily striated, tabular, elongated, twinned,
AND "bent" blades sitting atop a crystallized matrix of the equally
rare triclinic lead, tin, iron, antimony sulfosalt Franckeite. These
species belong to the only group of minerals that forms in naturally
"round" or "cylindrical" shaped crystals. For those of you who are
unaware, the crystals of Potosiite on this specimen are
EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE for the species. Before these new specimens were
discovered, some of the largest known crystals of Potosiite were
massive, uncrystallized, granules less than 1 mm. in most cases.
This new find has completely redefined the species of Potosiite. The
crystals on this specimen are NOT micros, you can clearly see them
with the naked eye and they are very distinct. Please note that even
though these are huge crystals, they are still breathtaking to view
under the microscope, and I've included some micro photos for your
viewing pleasure. The crystals of Potosiite from this historic find
are undoubtedly the LARGEST KNOWN POTOSIITE CRYSTALS IN EXISTENCE,
and this specimen hosts one of the single largest crystals of
Potosiite in the world ! This piece would actually be a noteworthy
specimen if it were only comprised of Franckeite, and none of the
Potosiite was present. I know all you rarities collectors out there
will appreciate the tremendous significance of these crystals. The
Potosiite has been positively identified through X-ray diffraction.
This is as good as it gets for Potosiite folks, and to find a small
cabinet size piece such as this is worthy of notice. I obtained the
lion's share of this material when it was found, and I have slowly
been tricking out a few pieces here and there to collectors, but
this piece remains as one of the finest pieces from the find, hands
down. This material may never be found again, and it is
exceptionally difficult to come by on the open market. I can say
without fear of contradiction that these Potosiite specimens will go
down as one of the major finds of any rare sulfosalt in the last 20
years. They are without a doubt one of the most substantial
discoveries in Bolivia in a long time. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 8.6 x 5.7 x 3.7 cm.
No. Andor Bol 5071Andorite - $2500 From the amazing find in November 2004. Andorite is lead, silver, antimony sulfosalt and was named for the Hungarian mineral collector Andor von Semsey (1833-1923), who holds a remarkable distinction for having two mineral species named after him (andorite and semseyite). I personally acquired the entire lot of ALL the top crystals that came into the U.S. in late 2004 through early 2005, of which many experts considered to be such a significant find, that it completely redefined Andorite as a crystallized species. This mine at Oruro dates Spanish mining as far back as the year 1595 and was mined by Incan Indians for several centuries prior. In all the years of mining, these are undoubtedly the world's finest Andorites extant! These specimens were extracted from the same vein system worked by the father of Bolivian mineralogy, Federico Ahlfeld. Ahlfeld worked the San Jose mine and Itos mine (the other significant Andorite locality at the same mountain in Oruro) when the mines were used predominantly as a major sources of tin to the United States during WWII. It was highly implausible that a find of this magnitude would ever happen considering the extensive work and time that had passed since any noteable Andorite specimens had made their way out of Bolivia. I debuted the best of these specimens in Tucson two years ago, and they were very well received by all who saw them. I will say with that we may never again see a find of Andorite this significant from any locality. Andorite is one of my favorite species from Bolivia, hands down. This small cabinet size specimen features excellent, relatively sharp, very good size, semi lustrous, striated, steel grey crystals of this rare lead, silver, antimony sulfosalt. The piece is associated with a small spray of acicular Zinkenite at the base. The majority of the specimens from this find were merely single crystals off matrix, but clusters such as this specimen only existed in about 5% of the pieces found. I will say that this is certainly one of the most aesthetic crystal groups from this find, and the size of the crystals places it in the upper ranks of all specimens found. The majority of the crystals are in excellent condition, with only a few contacts here and there. Considering the great size, rarity and artistic configuration of this specimen, the small amount of damage is forgivable, especially when compared to older specimens from 60 years ago which were riddled with damage and had poor aesthetics. It is very difficult to find any samples of this mineral on the market today, and until very recently, the locality had not produced specimens in MANY years. This is a wonderful opportunity to own a superb specimen of this extraordinarly rare mineral species. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 6.1 x 5.5 x 4.0 cm.
No.
Andor Bol 5072 From the amazing find in November 2004. Andorite is lead,
silver, antimony sulfosalt and was named for the Hungarian mineral
collector Andor von Semsey (1833-1923), who holds a remarkable
distinction for having two mineral species named after him (andorite and
semseyite). I personally acquired the entire lot of ALL the top crystals
that came into the U.S. in late 2004 through early 2005, of which many
experts considered to be such a significant find, that it completely
redefined Andorite as a crystallized species. This mine at Oruro dates
Spanish mining as far back as the year 1595 and was mined by Incan
Indians for several centuries prior. In all the years of mining, these
are undoubtedly the world's finest Andorites extant! These specimens
were extracted from the same vein system worked by the father of
Bolivian mineralogy, Federico Ahlfeld. Ahlfeld worked the San Jose mine
and Itos mine (the other significant Andorite locality at the same
mountain in Oruro) when the mines were used predominantly as a major
sources of tin to the United States during WWII. It was highly
implausible that a find of this magnitude would ever happen considering
the extensive work and time that had passed since any noteable Andorite
specimens had made their way out of Bolivia. I debuted the best of these
specimens in Tucson two years ago, and they were very well received by
all who saw them. I will say with that we may never again see a find of
Andorite this significant from any locality. Andorite is one of my favorite species from Bolivia, hands down.
This miniature size specimen features excellent, relatively sharp,
very good size, lustrous, striated, steel grey crystals of this rare
lead, silver, antimony sulfosalt sitting atop crystallized Pyrite
matrix. The majority of the specimens from this find were merely
single crystals off matrix, but matrix specimen such as this only
existed in about 5% of the pieces found. I will say that this is
certainly one of the most aesthetic specimens from this find, and
very few pieces were found on Pyrite matrix, as most matrix
specimens were on Zinkenite. The majority of the crystals on this
piece are in excellent condition, but I will say that some are
contacted. Considering the rarity and artistic configuration of this
specimen, combined with the fact that it's on an attractive matrix,
the amount of damage is forgivable, especially due to the fact that
matrix Andorite specimens are next to impossible to obtain. It is
very difficult to find any samples of this mineral on the market
today, and until very recently, the locality had not produced
specimens in MANY years. This is a wonderful opportunity to own a
superb display specimen of this extraordinarly rare mineral species. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 4.5 x 3.7 x 3.1 cm.
No.
Stann Bol 5072 From the impressive find of 2004. This boom
at the San Jose mine gave us a plethora of top notch sulfides, the
likes of which may never be matched from any mine in Bolivia. This
find produced record setting Andorite and Potosiite specimens, but
also produced some of the finest Stannites ever found from any world
locality. This specimen hosts a relatively large, sharp, silvery
colored twinned crystal of the rare copper iron tin sulfide Stannite
which is associated with a few steel grey, striated tabular crystals
of Andorite in a flowing nest of acicular Zinkenite crystals. The
vast majority of the Stannite specimens from this find were found
off matrix, which makes this piece that much more distinctive. I
will say that the Zinkenite matrix is brittle and somewhat crumbly,
so this piece must be handled with care. Regardless, it is a MATRIX
Stannite specimen from this find, with a great association of two
rare sulfides. There were only a handful of these specimens, and for
my money, they are superior to many of the Stannites from China
because the Chinese specimens are usually composite crystal groups
consisting of many smaller crystals to form a larger aggregate. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 5.3 x 4.7 x 2.7 cm.
No.
Stann Bol 5073 From the impressive find of 2004. This boom at the San
Jose mine gave us a plethora of top notch sulfides, the likes of
which may never be matched from any mine in Bolivia. This find
produced record setting Andorite and Potosiite specimens, but also
produced some of the finest Stannites ever found from any world
locality. This specimen hosts a large, sharp, lustrous, silvery
colored twinned crystal of the rare copper iron tin sulfide Stannite
sitting atop a semi lustrous, acicular spray of Zinkenite crystals.
This is a first-rate matrix Stannite specimen, and one of the best
pieces from the find that I've handled. The vast majority of the
Stannite specimens from this find were found off matrix, which makes
this piece that much more distinctive. I will say that the Zinkenite
matrix is brittle and somewhat crumbly, so this piece must be
handled with care. Regardless, it is a MATRIX Stannite specimen from
this find, with a great association of another rare sulfide. There
were only a handful of these specimens, and for my money, they are
superior to many of the Stannites from China because the Chinese
crystals are usually composite crystal groups consisting of many
smaller crystals to form a larger aggregate. This is a very choice
specimen for what are some of the largest crystals of this species
in the world. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that it is
unlikely we will ever see these superb Stannite specimens from San
Jose again. Locality: San Jose mine, Oruro City, Cercado Province, Oruro
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 4.1 x 2.9 x 2.8 cm.
No.
Bourn Bol 5071 Over the last 10 years or so, Machacamarca has
produced some of the best Bolivian Bournonite specimens ever found.
The diversity of habits and superb quality of the crystals that have
come out over the years has set this mine apart as one of the
premier localities for the species. Most people are familiar with
the new Chinese Bournonites on the market, and because Bolivia does
not receive nearly as much attention, I want people to know that I
have personally handled some of the finest Bournonite specimens from
any locality in the Western Hemisphere that came from this mine. One
of the most classic habits for Bournonite is the so called
"cogwheel" form that occurs when crystals are twinned along the "m"
prism face of crystals. Some of the most well known examples of this
habit were found at the Herodsfoot mine in St Just and Wheal Boys
mine in Endellion, Cornwall, England. This piece is a highly
aesthetic specimen showing the classic "cogwheel" twinning with
great reentrant angles between the "cogs". The piece is has a
charming, bright gun metal luster and is complete 3/4 of the way
around. It is in amazing fine condition, and with so many of the
Chinese "cogwheels" on the market (most of which are riddled with
damage hosting very high prices), this piece is an apparent bargain
for the size and quality. A great thumbnail sized specimen from this
lesser recognized Bolivian locality. Locality: Viboras section, Machacamarca, near Colavi, Potosi
Department, Bolivia Specimen Size: 2.8 x 2.2 x 1.0 cm.
No.
Bourn Bol 5072 Over the last 10 years or so, Machacamarca has produced some of the
best Bolivian Bournonite specimens ever found. The diversity of
habits and superb quality of the crystals that have come out over
the years has set this mine apart as one of the premier localities
for the species. Most people are familiar with the new Chinese
Bournonites on the market, and because Bolivia does not receive
nearly as much attention, I want people to know that I have
personally handled some of the finest Bournonite specimens from any
locality in the Western Hemisphere that came from this mine. This
piece features a few fine quality tabular crystals of Bournonite
with very sharp faces and a lovely, bright gun metal luster sitting
atop micro crystallized Pyrite matrix. The piece is virtually
undamaged and undeniably catches one's attention. Top quality
Bournonites on Pyrite matrix are not easy to find from Bolivia, and
this is one of the few mines in the world that produces such fine
crystals on Pyrite, as most other mines tend to produce Bournonites
on Quartz. Locality: Viboras section, Machacamarca, near Colavi, Potosi
Department, Bolivia Specimen Size: 5.0 x 3.9 x 2.1 cm.
No.
Bourn Bol 5073 Over the last 10 years or so, Machacamarca has produced some of the
best Bolivian Bournonite specimens ever found. The diversity of habits
and superb quality of the crystals that have come out over the years has
set this mine apart as one of the premier localities for the species.
Most people are familiar with the new Chinese Bournonites on the market,
and because Bolivia does not receive nearly as much attention, I want
people to know that I have personally handled some of the finest
Bournonite specimens from any locality in the Western Hemisphere that
came from this mine. This piece features a fine quality tabular crystal
of Bournonite with sharp faces and a lovely, bright gun metal luster
sitting atop a crust of micro crystallized Quartz. There are some
additional complexly crystallized Bournonites on the specimen which are
a testament to the fact that many of the Bournonite specimens from this
mine show multiple crystal habits on the same specimen. Locality: Viboras section, Machacamarca, near Colavi, Potosi
Department, Bolivia Specimen Size: 7.5 x 3.6 x 2.6 cm.
No. Valen Bol 5071 This is a superb example of the rare antimony axide, Valentinite
(pronounced: vah-LEN-tin-ite). The piece features many sharp, lustrous,
gemmy, whitish-grey, tabular orthorhombic crystals of sitting atop minor
matrix. For the overall size and quality, it is one of the better
Valentinites I've had to offer in a long time. It is very difficult to
find a superb cluster of crystals in my experience with the Valentinites
from this mine, as most specimens featured a solitary crystal on matrix.
This piece came from the great find at Colavi about 6 years ago, and I
have not seen any more specimens from this mine since that time. I
actually found this piece mixed in an assorted flat of Bolivian rarities
that had been lost for a few years, A great chance to have a matrix
specimen of a very hard to find mineral. This piece is a very nice
thumbnail specimen, and a great overall specimen for any rarities
collector.
Locality: Colavi mine, Cornelio Saavedra Province, Potosi
Department, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 2.6 x 2.5 x 1.8 cm.
No.
Cyl Bol 5071 This is a rich of specimen of one of the most unique species in all
the mineral kingdom. Cylindrite is a lead, iron, tin, antimony sulfosalt
that forms in "cylinder" or "tube" shaped crystals, hence the name. This
small "cabinet" size specimen is especially impressive considering that
it hosts rather long crystals. It truly is a great rarity to obtain a
good display specimen of this species, and this particular specimen is
loaded with dozens upon dozens of crystals. I personally acquired this
specimen at the mine at Poopo which is the type locality for the
species. A great opportunity for any collector to own a very one of a
kind species rarely seen for sale in today's market. Locality: Poopo, Poopo Province, Oruro Department, 48 km SSE of
Oruro, Bolivia. Specimen Size: 8.5 x 5.8 x 4.1 cm.
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