Minerals From China

Cluster of thick crystals of Azurite with minor amounts of Malachite tucked between the Azurites. Well crystallized specimen, complete and undamaged all around, size 5.5 x 4.5 x 4 cm.

Bright lime green crystals from the original finds, with a mixture of both large and small crystals, 4.3 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.

Exceptionally gemmy 1.1cm Cinnabar crystal in Dolomite vug with a 2.2cm orange Calcite crystal. You can see right through the Cinnabar to the Dolomite behind it. Two saw cuts on sides, size 5 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.

Purple/brown Scheelite crystals to 1.7 cm, Arsenopyrite crystals to 2cm on a Ferberite crystal, size 7 x 3.5 x 2.2 cm.

Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan, China

Top quality purple Fluorite cling to one side of a pristine Quartz crystal. Fluorite is very transparent with top luster, some have needle-like inclusions of Jamesonite (or similar mineral), 4.9 x 3 x 3 cm.

Matrix of Orthoclase completely covered by Spessartine. The quality of the garnets is much higher than the norm, they are sharp, glassy, and translucent to transparent. There are lots of Tongbei garnets coming out now, however this is representative of the best quality, size 5.8 x 4.5 x 4 cm.

Of the relatively numerous Quartz/Bournonite from Yaogangxian, this is the only thumbnail combo I've seen. A 2cm Bournonite attached to a 2.5cm Quartz. One crystal face of the Quartz is coated by small Fluorite cubes. size 2.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm.

Red Inesite cluster, 1.2cm, on Quartz with Pyrite crystals. Most Inesite from this locality is pink, this one an undamaged red cluster, size 7 x 5.5 x 4 cm.

Large terminated Ferberite crystal, a small fluorite attached on back, size 8 x 5.2 x 3.2 cm.

Large red Inesite crystal spray with other areas of Inesite, good clusters of Hubeite (brown), Quartz crystals, and tiny drusy Apophyllite, size 9.5 x 8 x 4 cm.

Spherical mass of Pyrite crystals 4.1cm wide on Quartz crystals with a pale green 1.5cm Fluorite cube, size 7.5 x 6 x 4.5 cm.

Mirror lustrous 3cm Arsenopyrite with blue and purple Fluorite cubes and muscovite, super Yaogangxian combo, size 4.8 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm.

Large, well displayed single crystal 3.2 cm wide on muscovite and Quartz. About as good as it gets for a single crystal, size 6 x 7 x 6 cm.

Three small, gemmy Scheelite crystals to 6mm (two on the Cassiterite, one on the mica) with attractive Cassiterite on muscovite, size 6 x 3.6 x 3.5 cm.

Bright and lustrous yellow Wulfenite crystals to 3mm all over matrix, size 6.2 x 3.5 x 3 cm.

Classic Cinnabar penetration twin rising up 1.7cm and 1.5 cm wide on Dolomite. Fine quality Cinnabar that glows red when backlit. Fine undamaged piece, Chinese Cinnabar is by far the world's best, get a good one while supplies are still plentiful. Although there is plenty of lower quality material available now, the better ones are few and far between, size 9 x 8 x 4 cm.

Open Dolomite lined vug with a ridge of large, gemmy Cinnabar crystals to 1.2cm running through the center, size 7 x 6.5 x 5 cm.

Large intergrown Arsenopyrite crystals across top of matrix. Showy piece, 5 x 4.5 x 4.5 cm.

Tongbei, Fujian Province, China

Orange Spessartine garnet crystals to 5mm with smokey quartz crystals, muscovite, orthoclase, 5.5 x 5 x 3 cm.