NT89AJ6
Typically from the classic Red Cloud mine the tabular crystals are very sharp and are implanted on a limonite matrix, showing all of their splendor and beauty with the perfection of the crystal forms and the intensity of their bright red color. The sample is from the Ignacio Hernández collection whose label we will send to the buyer.

TM91AG1
An American classic coming from a mainly forgotten mine, the Anselmo mine. The crystals are almost completely covered by a thin crust of Quartz but in some places where there is no Quartz you can see their excellent color.

TV88AJ6
Of the polychrome Elbaites from the Himalaya mine one of the characteristics that the 'photographic eye' most appreciates is the geometric color zoning, in this case from the bottom to the top there are three superimposed delicate pastel colors: yellow, pink and green. A 'delicatessen'. We will send the sample in its original Perkin’s box from the R.J. Noble collection, also with the collection label on which it appears that it was obtained in an exchange with Terry Enright, June 2011.

TG91AG1
Very good geometry, a floater, doubly terminated and with a white phantom inside. Its color is not very intense but I like classics, and for obvious reasons I like this classic.

TE87AG1
Boleite with Atacamite-Paratacamite on matrix. Coming from recent finds in the famous Amelia Mine due to work on the dumps there.

EMA89AN8
Botryoidal growths of small rhombohedral Rhodochrosite crystals, with very good luster and an a vivid and uniform pink color, covering a botryoidal Hisingerite-Neotocite (Series) matrix. It should be noted that there is a second generation of smaller Hisingerites dotting the botryoidal Rhodochrosite crystals.

TQ51AG1
Creedites are well known from this mine, but their Fluorites are not as well known and yet they are excellent; octahedral and violet and more rarely in very large crystals such as this one. On a base of Quartz and a first generation of green Fluorite, the collector José Luis Vallecillo was right in his choice of this powerful Fluorite.

TB91AG1
Large crystals of amethyst, different than the classic amethysts of Las Vigas, with thicker and slightly tapered crystals and zoned color, very intense in the first generation of the crystal and colorless or white in its last growth phase. A classic of the past from the collection of José Luis Vallecillo.

TA68AG2
"Electric blue" is the proper name that has been given to the color of the best Azurites from Milpillas. Certainly these Azurites seem to have their own light as if they emit light instead of capturing it. This small filigree represents very well that "electric" color as well as the best quality of the Milpillas Azurites.

TL62AI9
Brochantite crystals from Milpillas are famous for their sharpness and generally excellent quality. Here we have a group of idiomorphic Brochantite crystals with well-defined faces and edges and chisel-like terminations. The specimen’s composition, with large crystals on matrix coated by smaller crystals, makes for fine aesthetics. In my opinion this locality produces the world’s finest Brochantite specimens.

TR88AI9
Brochantite specimens from Milpillas have won a well-deserved fame for their excellent quality. In this case, the idiomorphic crystals are elongated,with sharp faces and edges and a very deep green color; the matrix is partially coated by a later generation of brochantite, showing pale green fibrous crystals with satiny luster. In my opinion this locality offers the world’s best Brochantite as judged by crystal size and sharpness, deep color and high luster.

TA70AG2
Most of the mineral species that the Milpillas mine has produced are the best of the best. The Brochantites are part of this rating and this piece is a good example of it for its excellent color, its richness of crystals, and the fact that the crystals are on a rock matrix.

TMA70AN8
Cuprite crystals formed by the dominant octahedron and cube, beveled by rhombic-dodecahedron faces, with some window growths and with very well defined faces and edges. The crystals, on a rock matrix, are translucent and have a very deep red color, partially masked by their extraordinary luster.

TA30AG1
Milpillas is in recent times a kind of lighthouse for the fans of minerals from all over the world. Within the extensive catalog of spectacular minerals their Cuprites are not the most recognized, but their quality is very high.

TP16AI9
Pseudocrystals of Malachite after Azurite in parallel growth on a matrix of fibrous Malachite: bright, with very rich color.

TH16AI9
This is a single, sharp, doubly terminated floater of Malachite pseudomorphous after Azurite, apparently simple, but the polycrystalline growths are full of interesting details.

TG99AI9
This is a group of pseudocrystals of Malachite after Azurite, one of them clearly dominant, with very well-defined faces and edges and a very deep color, partially coated by fibrous Malachite.

EK57AI9
Milpillas Volborthite specimens are without doubt the world’s best: with their large crystal size and high luster they set a new standard for this rare species. This small specimen shows a rosette-shaped growth of flattened Volborthite crystals on matrix; the rosette is very sharp and deeply colored.
The sample has been noted and photographed in the monograph 'The Milpillas Mine' of the ‘Mineralogical Record‘ magazine on page 619 in the volume 52, number 5, September-October 2021

TE37AI9
A floater group of pyritohedral crystals without minor forms, with very well-defined faces and edges, very bright and partially coated by growths of calcite microcrystals. The specimen is from a locality where good Pyrite specimens are not so common.

NTV91AN8
Group of very sharp Anglesite crystals pseudomorphed by Cerussite and covered by Goethite which is dominated by iridescence of gold, mauve and blue tones, on matrix,
The specimen, of high quality for the locality, comes from the Miguel David Martínez collection (number 897), whose label we will send to the buyer.

NRF89AN8
Cyclic twins of second generation yellowish white tabular crystals of Cerussite, with very sharp and translucent crystal forms that contrast with the Goethite matrix that presents low iridescence with mostly reddish brown colors.
This specimen comes from the Miguel David Martínez collection (number 822), whose label we will send to the buyer.

DP16AG6
The Daunis collection is a faithful mirror of the minerals that were found in Spain in the 60’s and 70’s. The Asturreta Quarry, specifically the area called "El Pozo," produced in those years the best known Dolomites and Daunis had the ability to get some of them of extraordinary quality. This piece is a good example.

NP90AG2
The upper levels of the great classic mine of Panasqueira are now producing very good specimens. We have gone from a period of scarcity to the current wealth, but in my opinion we are in a transitory period that may end when the mine goes to different areas. So far several pieces as attractive as this zoned crystal of Fluorapatite have been recovered, isolated and well placed on its matrix of Quartz and Muscovite.

NBA26AN8
Cubic crystals of Fluorite beveled by the rhombo-dodecahedron, translucent and with an intense bluish lilac color, on a Quartz crystal dotted with small cream-colored crystals of Siderite with hexagonal contour, both on the Quartz crystal and on the Fluorite crystals, a fact that shows that a carbonate, in this case Siderite, was the last mineral to form. Different.

LK91AK2
A good example of what is expected of an Alpine fissure Smoky Quartz, for its transparency, intense luster and depth of color. Associated with some small Epidote crystals. The sample is from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 766), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LE70AK2
This specimen, extraordinarily fine and elegant and very well balanced, displays a group of Quartz crystals, on matrix, with a well defined La Gardette habit, elongated, transparent, colorless, very bright and with small inclusions. The sample, a French classic, comes from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 1107), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LT70AK2
The specimen is a perfect aesthetic compendium of Sphalerite, with complex crystals, one of them clearly dominant and very aerial, of unusual size for the locality, with distinct polycrystalline growths and with curvatures on the faces and edge, translucent, lustrous and rich in deep and intense color tones. On matrix, with Dolomite and white rhombohedral crystals of Calcite. The specimen is from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 1075), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

EXT96AN8
Group of complex equant crystals of Sphalerite, very transparent and lustrous, with an intense color and a lively interior "fire". Large for the deposit and on a matrix of lenticular crystals of Siderite with a very light cream color, and twinned Bournonite crystals.
This specimen comes from the Alain Martaud collection, whose label we will send to the buyer.
The specimen has been photographed and published in the magazine ‘Paragénesis’, number 02/2021, page 100

LW89AK2
An excellent example of Alpine-type quartz with a very visible faden cord and that has formed a flattened parallel growth floater, extraordinarily sharp, of colorless, transparent and very brilliant crystals. The specimen is from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 351), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

EE57AJ6
A classic aggregate of Malachite crystals after Cuprite, formed by the cube and the dodecahedron. Its clear and uniform green color contrasts with the deep blue of the nodule of equant Azurite crystals. A French classic.

TE26AG1
La Gardette is a mythical name. That small mine located in the middle of the French Alps has offered and continues to offer some of the most elegant Quartzes in the world. A beauty as fascinating as the place where they are found.

TF89AK2
One of those discoveries due to the good work of amateurs. A treasure recovered in an unexpected place in the abandoned Four de Cluzel Mine. Fluorite crystals, translucent, with extraordinary luster, have a very intense and uniform lemon yellow color and are partially coated, selectively, by small water-clear Quartz crystals. Because of its color, luster and crystal size, these are among the most beautiful French Fluorites.

EF96AK2
The size of the crystal is impressive, which in no way worsens the quality of the specimen, with translucent crystals, extraordinary luster, and a very intense and uniform lemon-yellow color, partially coated selectively by small water-clear Quartz crystals. This specimen is part of one of those discoveries resulting from the diligent work of an amateur, a treasure recovered in an unexpected place in the abandoned Four de Cluzel Mine. Because of its color, luster and crystal size, it is among the best French Fluorites.

EB12AK2
One of those discoveries due to the good work of amateurs. A treasure recovered in an unexpected place in the abandoned Four de Cluzel Mine. Fluorite crystals, translucent, with extraordinary luster, have a very intense and uniform lemon yellow color and are partially coated, selectively, by small water-clear Quartz crystals. Because of its color, luster and crystal size, these are among the most beautiful French Fluorites.

EFX99AN8
Very aerial botryoidal growth of brilliant greyish Goethite. Excellent for this locality, being from the Peyrebrune mine itself, from which not many Goethites as remarkable as this one are known.

LX72AK2
A specimen that should be in any gallery of French Fluorites. It forms a transparent druse when backlit, with crystals of cubic habit with polycrystalline growths that form well defined, lustrous, transparent and very uniform deep blue-violet steps. A French classic that comes from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 208), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LF11AK2
A small but very classic example from Des Farges, a group of crystals with very well-defined parallel growths and fine polycrystalline terminations that give them the appearance of a beam. The crystals, with distinct phantom growths when backlit, have a geometrically zoned yellowish-green color in the prism and lemon-yellow around the terminations. The specimen is from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 959), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LQ99AK2
Good example of what is expected in a Pyromorphite from Des Farges, and not only because of the intense grass-green color, but also because of the arborescent, very aerial growth, and the definition of the crystals, with their tapering habit and the hoppered ends. A French classic that comes from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 1080), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LY26AK2
A true classic from Des Farges, both for its crystalline morphology with slightly tapered crystals and good flat terminations, as well as for the excellent luster, the greenish yellow color, the phantoms visible in transmitted light and the geometric yellow-toned color zoning that is brighter around the terminations. A French classic that comes from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 1085), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LG91AK2
The elongated shape of the specimen enhances the aesthetics of these crystals on matrix that form very well defined polycrystalline growths, with good pyramidal terminations. The color, unusual for the locality, is cream yellow with greenish tones. A French classic that comes from the Philippe Morelon collection (No. 531), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

LH71AK2
Elegant matrix group of very sharp Baryte crystals, thin tabular to lamellar, with phantoms resulting from an early growth phase, very rich in inclusions, and a second terminal phase, transparent and colorless. An unusual specimen from this deposit, especially for its quality. From the collection of Philippe Morelon (No. 967), whose catalogue entry we will send to the buyer.

MV14AI9
This is a floater group of Hyalophane crystals from Busovaca—practically the only locality for fine specimens of this Feldspar-group species. The lustrous, translucent crystals are very obviously repeating double Baveno-Manebach twins.

MTA91AN8
Group of sharp Anhydrite crystals in parallel growth, with sharp crystal forms and excellent terminations, between transparent and translucent, with good luster and an intense violet color under artificial light and a flesh color with natural light. They are accompanied by small, completely transparent crystals of Celestine on the front of the specimen. A German classic from an old iron mine.

MB57AI6
A sample that has the special attraction of being a German classic, a Baryte that forms a parallel aggregate of very sharp thick tabular crystals that are partially coated by disphenoidal Chalcopyrite crystals with a tetragonal shape, with very well defined faces and edges and very intense brightness.

ME14AJ6
Fine and aerial botryoidal growth of rhombohedral crystals that are between yellow and orange, contrasting nicely with white Calcite coatings.

TN89AG1
Rudabánya is a classic European town famous for its Cuprites replaced by Malachite and although there are also Azurites they are normally of modest quality. This piece, however, is of good quality and size and improves on what is usually seen coming from that mine.

TP48AH3
Thinking of Grossular localities it is very probable that the first in our mind will be Val d’Ala. The crystals, very well defined and combining the forms of the dodecahedron and the trapezohedron, with splendid color and luster and the presence on the matrix of Diopside and Clinochlore crystals do this sample great credit as an Italian classic.

HD14AI9
This specimen represents a classic Italian locality for Ilvaite. It is one of the better known localities for the species, but only a very small number of specimens from it have ever been recovered and saved. The Ilvaite crystals, some terminated sharply on one end and less sharply on the other end, are highly lustrous. Small quartz crystals are associated.

MFM3AN8
Groups of Sulphur crystals with dipyramidal habit, with very well-defined faces and edges, lustrous, between transparent and translucent, on matrix with stalagmitic growths of small white Calcite crystals.

The Racalmuto Mine is part of the Messinian evaporite series, rich in Halite, Gypsum and Anhydrite, which act as host rocks for secondary mineralizations such as Celestine, Calcite, Sulphur or Aragonite. Its geological context lies within the great Mediterranean evaporite sequence generated during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, responsible for vast Sicilian salt deposits and for the reducing environments where world-class Sulphur specimens crystallise.

MRM73AN8
Twinned Bournonite crystal, isolated, very aerial and large, shiny, on matrix, with complex Pyrite crystals, twinned Sphalerite crystals, and small white Calcite crystals. This specimen, from a recent find, recalls the classic bournonites found in this mine in the past.
The specimen has been photographed and published in the magazine ‘Paragénesis’, number 01/2022, page 74 and published in the Bulletin ‘MiniBul A.G.A.B.’ on page 83 of number 3/2022

The Stan Trg Mine is part of the Trepča Complex, one of the largest metalliferous districts in the Balkans. Mineralization corresponds to a hydrothermal polymetallic deposit, developed mainly within Mesozoic carbonates and host rocks affected by intense fracturing. Hydrothermal processes and subsequent late supergene alteration have favored the formation of abundant sulfides, as well as secondary iron phosphates, well crystallized in cavities and along fluid circulation pathways.

EJ89AG8
The great mining region of Trepča is one of the largest polymetal deposits in the world and it has given for many years exceptional pieces of Sphalerite as well as varied combinations of sulfides and carbonates. This old piece, found before the mine went back to work in 2005, presents an architectural group of large rhombohedral Dolomite crystals partially coated by Calcite crystals and with a cluster of Pyrite crystals on one side of the piece. Small crystals of Arsenopyrite dot the large Dolomite crystals and also some small Quartz crystals complete the combo.

MG30AI6
A sample that reclaims a special attention, both for its spectacular appearance and for its complexity, because the Galena has the pseudomorph shape of parallel growths of old tabular Pyrrhotite crystals coated by Pyrite further recrystallized in small cubic and cubo-octahedral crystals, and with some twinned Sphalerite crystals. Being that the Pyrrhotite is after Galena and not Pyrite (which is the the most typical) the chemical stability of the sample seems assured.

EP40AI6
The well known aesthetics of the Kosovar samples enhance some minerals that are currently considered as “modest,” as is the case with this Galena that forms cubo-octahedral crystals that are twinned according to the spinel-law, some of them flattened, all them extraordinarily bright and on matrix with Quartz crystals.

NT67AH3
Silver from Kongsberg is obviously part of the history of mineralogy but also of European history. On this sample the Silver has grown forming delicate arborescent aggregates of small octahedral crystals included in Calcite and on a rocky matrix.

CA91AI6
Relatively common in the eighties the Celestine samples from Machov had a great success in the collectible mineralogical world due both for their strict mineralogical interest and the esthetic appearance of the crystals, elongated and transparent, often with smoky shades and extraordinarily bright. They are currently considered as classics of mineralogy and there are few samples for collectors. To all this we must add that the Celestine has the unusual property of being phosphorescent (during 1-2 seconds)

EP69AJ6
Radial and fan-like aggregates of acicular Kermesite crystals. They are extraordinarily bright and have an intense deep red color, on matrix with small white Calcite crystals.

ET92AG6
We love the classics, and when they are good then it is the best! This classic from England easily was found 100 years ago and reflects very well a period in the history of minerals in which the United Kingdom was the reference for many mineral species, including Pyromorphite.
Roughton Gill is an old mining area that forms part of the historic mining district of Caldbeck Fells, well known since the 18th century for its exceptional mineral diversity and for producing many classic specimens highly valued by collectors.
The Moutet collection from Marseille is the origin of this piece and the label of the prestigious shop Deyrolle de Paris that accompanies it is as historic as the Pyromorphite itself.

Geologically, the mineralization there occurs in hydrothermal veins cutting Ordovician volcanic and volcanosedimentary rocks of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group. These veins mainly host lead and zinc mineralization with numerous secondary minerals developed in the oxidation zone. Among them, Pyromorphite and Mimetite are particularly notable; in Roughton Gill the Mimetite commonly occur in the form historically known as 'campylite', characterized by short, curved, barrel-shaped crystals typically showing brown to orange colors.