Search Archived Mineral Specimens
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Dafeng, Shanglin Co., Guangxi Zhuang, China
- Formula
- Sb2AsS2
- Size
- Thumbnail 2.5x2x1cm
Excellent specimen of dull grey Paakkonenite as the matrix hosting good sprays of Kermesite. There are also numerous crystals of which I have never seen before, but are probably apatite of valentinite. They are striated and tapering and very unusual in form.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Kalkar quarry, Santa Cruz Co., California, United States
- Formula
- BaSnSi3O9
- Size
- Thumbnail 2.5x2x1.5cm
- Special Info
- Type Locality
Nearly impossible to get on the market...although there is probably more out there. Pabstite is hard to ID without the aid of the UV light as it glows bright blue under short wave. Once located in the matrix with UV, the crystals can be distinguished. In this specimen they are white to colorless and platy to maybe 1-3mm. The quarry is nonexistent I believe.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Kalkar quarry, Santa Cruz Co., California, United States
- Formula
- BaSnSi3O9
- Size
- Miniature 3x3.5x2.5cm
- Tagged
- tin
- Special Info
- Fluorescent
- Special Info
- Type Locality
There are several colorless crystal grains in matrix. The largest at the arrow is 1.5mm, which is large for the species. The rest are smaller. All the grains are identifiable with UV since the fluoresce a bright blue. It is the tin analogue of Benitoite and very rare.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Ivigtut Cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland
- Formula
- NaCaAlF6·H2O
- Size
- SmCabinet 5.5x4x2.5cm
- Special Info
- Type Locality
This is kind of a teaser to the upcoming Ivigtut Special Edition. I have a few better than this, but this is a good specimen also with good 0.75-1mm Pachnolite crystals with pyramidal terminations and iron-stained. There are other areas which show waterclear Pachnolite crystals. There is also wider prismatic Thomsenolite crystals to 1mm and some of these have little epitaxial Pachnolite crystals growing on the tips. Overall a facsinating specimen.
- Availability
- Sold
- Featured
- Featured in Special Editions
- Locality
- Ivigtut Cryolite deposit, Ivigtut, Arsuk Fjord, Sermersooq, Greenland
- Formula
- NaCaAlF6·H2O
- Size
- Thumbnail 3x3x1.5cm
- Special Info
- Type Locality
A smaller specimen with a 2cm vug loaded with Pachnolite with perfect parymidal terminations.
- Availability
- Sold
- Locality
- Tip Top mine, Custer Co., South Dakota, United States
- Formula
- Li8(Ca,Li,K)10.5Be24(PO4)24·38H2O
- Size
- Thumbnail 2x1x1.5cm
- Tagged
- phosphate , beryllium , pegmatite mineral
- Special Info
- Type & Only Locality
Pahasapaite is one of the rarest minerals on Earth. It is one of five minerals with beryllium, lithium, and phosphorous in its composition and has a zeolitic structure. Tiptopite, also on this specimen is one of the five Be, Li, P minerals. Pahasapaite is also isometric, unlike most other phosphates found in pegmatites. It is usually faint pink to pink to slight orange. On this specimen, there are at least two euhedral faint pink crystals to about 0.3mm and a layer of stronger pink crystalline Pahasapaite about 2mm long seen on the side underneath a layer of Englishite and Roscherite. Beryl matrix.
By all accounts, this is a very good specimen, with crystals easily seen with a good microscope. The Pahasapaite came out during the 1980's and the pit has since flooded. I own the claims, but have not attempted to dewater, due to many complications (too many alligators).
