Marin Mineral Auction #12

To place a bid, simply e-mail me with the specimen you are biding on, a bidding name you want to be identified by, and your bid amount. I will of course not always be able to post the bids immediately but will have them up within 24 hours at most. Please consider each specimen and your bid carefully as your bid is a commitment to purchase the mineral(s). The auction will starts now and will close at 8:30 p.m. pacific standard time on Wednesday May 14th. If multiple bids on a particular specimen come in near the close time, the auction will close 10 minutes following the last received bid after the close time. Bids are in United States dollars. Minimum bid increments are $5 for bids under $100 and $10 for bids over $100. Have fun!

NA499 - Quartz after Garnet

Garnet Hill Mine, Calaveras Co., California

Large Garnet crystal that has been replaced by Quartz. Complete crystal showing the crystal faces of the Garnet and areas with a slight patina of reddish Garnet. Associated with Epidote. Rare psuedomorph. Was on the website for $400, 8.5 x 7 x 6.8 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $200
SDR

SP33 - Spessartine

Loliando, Tanzania

From the new find in Tanzania comes this sharply formed complete crystal. Although the inclusions make the overall appearance dark, they do not discolor all of the crystal and there are plenty of areas of bright gem orange garnet. Bottom faces were intergrown with other Garnets. Crystal diameter 1.5 cm, 3.5 grams.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40
MJS

X6 - Mangano Calcite

Pachapaqui Mine, Peru

Large pink mangano Calcite that apperas to be an epimorph after an unknown large crystal that later dissolved away. Remaining cast indicates the previous crystal had edges 7cm long, size 13 x 8 x 6 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30
Rhodo

X7 - Hemimorphite
Dulong Mine, Yunnan Prov., China

Blue Hemimorphite with folded habit, size 10.2 x 7 x 3.5 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40

$75

TZ

X8 - Fluorite on Orthoclase
Tongbei, Fujian Prov., China

1.7cm transparent light green Fluorite octahedron on Orthoclase. Well formed crystal perched nicely atop matrix, purple phantoms along edges, 4 x 2.5 x 2 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30

NA924 - Adamite
Mina Oujela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico

Yellow Adamite in singles and clusters of thick individual crystals, 6.5 x 6.5 x 4 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $35

SP29 - Spessartine
Loliando, Tanzania

Sharply formed complete crystal with lots of black inclusions, no contacts, equant form. Although the inclusions make the overall appearance dark, they do not discolor all of the crystal and there are plenty of areas of bright gem orange garnet. Valued at $400. Crystal diameter 3.6 cm, 56 grams.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $200

AF725 - Quartz
Brandberg, Namibia

Single slightly sceptered crystal with amethyst phantoms and red lepidocrosite inclusions, size 5.7 x 1.4 x 1.2 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40

X9 - Sulphur
Falconera Section, Cianciana Mine, Agrigento Prov., Sicily, Italy

Fine lustrous gem Sulphur crystals to 1.3 cm, valued at $250, 3.2 x 2.9 x 2 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $75

X10 - Indicolite
Kunar Prov., Afghanistan

Fat Indicolite crystal with S-shaped curves do to natural breakage and rehealing during formation. "Cats-eye chatoyancy and a smaller crystal attached. Both crystals single terminated, 2.8 x 1.8 x 1.6 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40
TZ

E310 - Quartz, Chalcopyrite

Boldut Mine, Cavnic, Maramures, Romania

Fat, translucent white quartz crystals to 4.3cm rising up off quartz and chalcopyrite matrix, 7.5 x 5 x 3.5 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $50

X11 - Zircon
Mashewa, Tanga Region, Tanzania

Five gem red/brown Zircon crystals to 2 cm tall, 4 full fully terminated.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40

X12 - Andradite
Mali

Large brown single crystal, translucent int he interior, size 4.7 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30

X13 - Rhodochrosite
Uchuchacua Mine, Peru

Single, terminated 1 cm gem crystal on matrix, 1.1 x 0.9 x 0.8 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $20

X14 - Scorodite
Djebel Debar, Hamman, Meskhootine, Algeria

Solid chunk of translucent Scorodite with one area of small crystal faces. Unusual locality for the Scorodite collector, 5.8 x 4.5 x 4 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30

$45

Homo Sapiens

AF735 - Demantoid Garnet
Tubussis Farm, Erongo Mtns., Namibia

Glassy and transparent green Garnet crystals to 6mm with Quartz. Sharp edges, good green color, and good transparency, size 3.5 x 2.5 x 2 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $60

E537 - Copper after Cuprite
Itauz Mine, Djezkazgan, Kazakhstan

Octahedral cuprite crystals that have been replaced by Copper crystals. Individual crystals to 12mm, 2.8 x 1.8 x 1.3 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40
Rhodo

AF969 - Cobaltian Calcite
Shaba Prov., Congo

Transparent 2.2 cm crystal on matrix. A small amount of Malachite in the crystal and on the matrix, smaller crystal is incomplete, 3.5 x 2.2 x 2 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $60
DT

A391 - Calcite
Shizhuyuan, Chenzhou, Hunan, China

Large plate of stacked disk shaped pink Calcite crystals. These are sometimes called "poker-chip" crystals as they are stacked up one upon the next, size 21 x 11 x 5 cm. Better than photos as they do not convey the impressive size and presence of this specimen in hand - this is a big piece covered by crystals.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $50

X15 - Adamite
Mina Oujela, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico

Excellent 1.1 cm radial group of crystals on matrix, size 4.5 x 3 x 2.5 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30

X16 - Kunzite
Pech, Kunar Prov., Afghanistan

Elongated double terminated gem crystal. Complete and undamaged with complete, flat prism faces on all sides, rare this perfect as most have areas of etching, 6.1 x 1.7 x 0.8 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $100

AF953 - Cuprite on Copper
Tsumeb, Namibia

Dendritic Copper crystals rising up off matrix that are covered by and surrounded by Cuprite crystals. Ex. Clote collection, 5.5 x 5 x 3.5 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $50

SA458 - Realgar
Mina Palomo, Julcani Dist., Peru

Red Realgar crystals to 9mm on Sphalerite with Galena. The Sphalerite has a surface dusting of micro Orpiment, giving it a metallic bronze coloration, size 3.2 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $30

AF573 - Rhodochrosite

N'Chwanning Mine, Kuruman, South Africa

Large specimen covered with botryoidal Rhodochrosite, size 10 x 7 x 4 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $40

NA498 - Quartz after Garnet

Garnet Hill Mine, Calaveras Co., California

Large Garnet crystal that has been replaced by Quartz, perhaps the largest of this unusual psuedo. The crystal is 10cm wide and sits nicely on a pedestal of Epidote. There are a couple cavities in the main crystal which contain Quartz and Epidote crystals. Collected by a friend years ago, who has collected there very often, who claims it is the biggest he has seen. Was on the website for $900, 15 x 13 x 10 cm.

Current Bid

Bidder I.D.

Opening at $400