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F-138  Fluorite & Apatite-(CaF) on Muscovite  $400

Nagar, Hunza Valley, Northern Areas, Pakistan

10 x 7.5 x 6 cm.

Once abundant, these Fluorite and Apatite combos from northern Pakistan are not often seen these days.  Nestled in a mound of Muscovite is a 2 x 1.5 cm. crystal of Apatite-(CaF), formerly known as Fluorapatite, and a 1.5 x 2 cm. crystal of Fluorite, which has a slightly rose-like tint near its bottom.  Also nestled amongst the Muscovite are many crystals of Albite.  A really cool feature of this specimen is the fact that the Apatite crystal fluoresces a strong yellow under SWUV and the Fluorite fluoresces white with green phosphorescence.

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P-058  Purpurite  $50  SOLD

Branchville Mica Mine, Branchville, Fairfield County, CT

5 x 5 x 2 cm.

This colorful and lustrous mineral specimen is covered on both sides by the rare mineral Purpurite.  Purpurite is a very rare phosphate of manganese formed by the oxidation of Triphylite and Lithiophilite, and is never found as euhedral crystals.  Most Purpurites seen for sale are usually from South Africa. American specimens of this intensely colored mineral are extremely hard to come by.

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C-124  Columbite  $65

Alto Ligonha, Zambezia Province, Mozambique

4.4 x 3.3 x 1.6 cm.

A very well-formed (for its species) crystal of the Niobium mineral, Columbite.   Columbite is almost never found in perfect crystals, as they almost always occur along the pocket walls of pegmatites, resulting in them either being truncated or malformed in shape or contacted on some portion of the crystal.  This crystal has been contacted on a portion of the bottom side edge and is coarsely crystallized on its rear face, however the top possesses a modified termination with several clean faces.  A good locality specimen for any collector of pegmatite minerals.

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L-015  Lepidolite ps. after Tourmaline  $100

Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil

7.5 x 2 x 1.8 cm.

A very lustrous Tourmaline that has been partially replaced by Lepidolite. This particular specimen shows a reddish-pink interior on the upper termination.  These attractive specimens are “old timers” that were found in the 1970's.

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L-016  Lepidolite ps. after Tourmaline  $85

Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil

7 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm.

A very lustrous Tourmaline that has almost completely been replaced by Lepidolite. These attractive specimens are “old timers” that were found in the 1970's.

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L-017  Lepidolite ps. after Tourmaline  $85

Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil

6.5 x 2.4 x 1.8 cm.

A very lustrous Tourmaline that has been partially replaced by Lepidolite. These attractive specimens are “old timers” that were found in the 1970's.

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A-038  Fluorapatite on Smoky Quartz  $50

Golconda Mine, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, Brazil

4.5 x 4 x 3.1 cm.

What at first appears to be your typical Brazilian Smoky Quartz specimen with an iron-oxide covered matrix is actually much more than it appears to be.  The yellowish portions of this pegmatite specimen consist of numerous crystals of the mineral Fluorapatite. These Fluorapatite crystals are extremely well-formed and exhibit a yellow fluorescence under shortwave ultraviolet light and a yellow-orange fluorescence under longwave ultraviolet light.  For me, this specimen was quite a surprise.  On a whim, I decided to have a closer look at what I thought at the time were rust-stained Feldspar crystals, only to discover that they were actually Fluorapatite crystals.  Sometimes it pays off to have a microscope laying around the house!

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A-039  Apatite and Muscovite  $40
(double terminated)

Zé Pinto Prospect, Aldeia, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil

2.5 x 2.8 x 1.8 cm.

An extremely lustrous, double-terminated floater crystal of Apatite flanked on one side by very well-formed crystals of Muscovite.  Once abundant in the early to mid-1990's, these classic Apatite specimens are almost impossible to obtain these days as this location has not produced any more of these beauties for some time now.

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F-114  Orthoclase (Baveno Twin) with Smoky Quartz  $60

Seula Mine, Baveno, Piedmont, Italy

4.9 x 3 x 3.5 cm.

This Baveno-twinned Orthoclase crystal is covered on the back by many Smoky Quartz crystals.  On the upper left of the termination is a flattened crystal of a species that I have not been able to identify despite many hours of research and examination.  A fine example from a classic locality that is suitable for any collector of pegmatite minerals.

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A-020  Fluorapatite with Albite, Bertrandite & Schorl  $360  SOLD

Golconda Mine, Golconda District, Governador Valadares
Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil

6 x 4.4 x 2.6 cm.

When I first saw this attractive specimen, I thought to myself “what an unusual blue cap Tourmaline.”  Upon closer examination I found it to be a Fluorapatite.  In addition to it's contrasting ink-blue cap and reddish-pink core, this specimen also fluoresces orange.  This specimen also features a spray of several Bertrandite crystals up to 1.5 centimeters on it's rear and a needle-like Schorl crystal which the Fluorapatite crystal has wrapped itself around during it's growth.  While the photographs don't convey it very well, the Fluorapatite has a glassy luster.  This specimen will make for a great addition to any pegmatite mineral collector's cabinet.

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G-041  Garnet on Feldspar with Quartz  $225

Shengus, Baltistan, Northern Areas, Pakistan

11 x 6 x 6 cm.

This specimen features many Spessartine Garnet crystals up to 1.6 cm. on a towering matrix of Feldspar, crowned by a 3.6 cm. Quartz crystal.  A great mineral specimen for a modest price if you ask me.

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B-044  Brazilianite  $360
ex Al Ordway collection #412

Mendes Pimental, Minas Gerais, Brazil

3.5 x 2.5 x 2 cm.

This crystal is very lustrous and has a gemmy termination. Some of the mines near Corrego Frio occasionally produced small amounts of Brazilianite. This one is from the was probably found in the 1960's or 70's

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