Middle Earth Minerals: Mineral specimens for sale

Sold Specimens, Gallery P
Galleries of Sold Specimens:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XY Z

Agates Sold Calcites Sold Mont St-Hilaire Sold

NOTE: Petarasite and Polylithionite from Mont St-Hilaire
have been moved to Mont St-Hilaire Sold

click on image for larger view

PAPG5-1 Papagoite $125 SOLD

Ajo Mine, Ajo, Little Ajo Mts, Ajo District, Pima Co., Arizona, USA (TL)

8.3 cm x 8.5 cm x 4.2 cm

This large, rich specimen of Papagoite, CaCu[H₃AlSi₂O₉], is from the type locality (TL). Most of the coverage is in the form of a crust, but as you turn the specimen under the light, you can see the sparkle of many sub-millimeter-sized crystals. Use of a loupe or a low-power microscope reveals their prismatic shapes embedded in the crust.

click on image for larger view

PEC6-1 Pectolite $85 SOLD

Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Québec, Canada

6.3 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm

Little wheat-sheaf clusters, sprays and bowties of pure Pectolite (NaCa₂[HSi₃O₉]) piled on top of each other to form an airy specimen. It fluoresces a sort of pink-yellow-orange under both SWUV and LWUV, more strongly with the latter.

click on image for larger view

PHEN9-1 Phenakite on Quartz $18 SOLD

Mt. Foster, Bennett, Atlin Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada

8.0 cm x 3.2 cm x 2.6 cm; largest crystal size ~ 3 mm

A Quartz fragment sprinkled with about 2 dozen clear, small Phenakites (Be₂[SiO₄]) from an unusual locality.

click on image for larger view

PHOE9-1 Phoenicochroite $32 SOLD

Potter-Cramer Mine, Vulture District
Vulture Mts, Maricopa Co., Arizona

4.8 cm x 4.2 cm x 3.9 cm

A miniature-sized sample with a coating of resinous, red Phoenicochroite, Pb₂[O|CrO₄]. It requires 60 x on my microscope to discern any crystals, and there are only a few of them hiding out on this specimen.

click on images for larger view                                                          FOV=  5 mm x 5.5 mm

FOV=  6 mm x 5 mm                    click on images for larger view                     FOV= 1.2 mm x 1 mm

PhCa9-1 Phosphosiderite and Cacoxinite $75 SOLD

Folgosinho, Gouveia, Guarda District, Portugal

8 x 6.4 x 4 cm

By now you should have guessed that I have a new toy: a digital microscope, as evidenced by the alarming plethora of close-up photos. Purple balls of Phosphosiderite (FePO₄·2H₂O) and yellow crusts of Cacoxinite (Fe³⁺₂₄Al[(OH)₁₂|O₆|(PO₄)₁₇] · 17H₂O) decorate this specimen. If you go to the enlargement of the lower left photo and scan the lower right for something resembling a yellow slice of pizza, then you can see the only radial spray of Cacoxinite that I was able to capture in a photo.

click on images for larger views             -             side view

click on images for larger views                -             top view

blue spheres of Plumbogummite                                        curved orange barrels of Campylite

Plumbogummite over yellow cores of Mimetite                     yellow-green grains of Pyromorphite

PLB6-1 Plumbogummite, Mimetite and Pyromorphite $165 SOLD

Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK

4.4 cm x 2.3 cm x 2 cm

This specimen of yellow-green Pyromorphite (Pb₅[Cl|(PO₄)₃]) on top of blue Plumbogummite (PbAl₃[(OH)₅|(PO₄)₂] • H₂O) with orange and yellow Mimetite (Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl) dates to about the 1830s and was previously in the Liz and Dave Hacker collection. Much like the recently discovered Plumbogummites of China, this specimen has Mimetite cores coated with Plumbogummite - see the photo in the lower left and look for the yellow circle surrounded by blue just below the photo's center. It also has a patch of orange Mimetite of the variety Campylite. A very rare locality piece only available when collections are recycled.

click on left image for larger view image on right is 10 x 6 mm

POSN9-1 Posnjakite $95 SOLD

Drakewalls Mine, Gunnislake Area, Callington District
Cornwall, England, UK

4 cm x 2.5 cm x 2.8 cm

Posnjakite (Cu₄[(OH)₆|SO₄] · H₂O) is an uncommon copper sulfate that forms in the oxidized zone of copper-bearing hydrothermal mineral deposits. This specimen comes with an older-looking label from David New Minerals.

click on images for larger views image on right is 3 x 2 mm

POW9-2 Cuprian Powellite $35 SOLD

Jardinera No. 1 Mine, Inca de Oro, Chañaral Province,
Atacama Region, Chile

6.3 cm x 3.8 cm x 3.9 cm

Green Cuprian Powellite (Ca[MoO₄]) crystals in vugs. Surprisingly, even with the copper content, the Powellite still fluoresces bright cream-yellow under SWUV.

click on images for larger views

GEO10-01 Prehnite Nodule $55 SOLD
ex Linda St-Cyr collection

Wave Hill, Victoria-Birrindudu Basin, Northern territory, Australia

7.3 cm x 5.6 cm x 2.8 cm

A solid nodule of green Prehnite : (Ca₂Al₂Si₃O₁₂(OH)) with white and brown inclusions. Natrolite is reported from this locality, so that would be my guess for the composition of the pale inclusions, a portion of which is seen in close-up at bottom left. I particularly like the rind on this one since it is unusual to see a Prehnite inside a rind, and it forms a nice frame. This nodule half was in my geode-nodule case when it received first place 4 times at the San Diego County Fair.

PRET9-1 Pretulite $95 SOLD

Höllkogel Mt., Alpl, Freßnitzgraben, Krieglach,
Fischbacher Alpen Mts, Styria, Austria (TL)

3.4 cm x 2.1 cm x 2 cm

Pretulite (ScPO₄) is one of only a few scandium-containing minerals, and this specimen comes from the type locality for Pretulite. The Pretulite is the yellowish material. The blue matrix consists of Lazulite in Quartz.

Specimen A click on image for larger view Specimen B

PSB9-1 Pseudoboleite (TL) on Boleite (TL) $55 SOLD

Santa Rosalía, Boleó District, Mun. de Mulegé,
Baja California Sur, Mexico

specimen A: 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm SOLD
specimen B: 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm SOLD

Pseudoboleite (Pb₃₁Cu₂₄Cl₆₂(OH)₄₈) is a rare mineral that usually only occurs as sub-millimeter crystals. But in Santa Rosalía, it is found growing epitaxially on Boleite (KPb₂₆Ag₉Cu₂₄(OH)₄₈Cl₆₂). Epitaxy is defined as: The growth of a crystal of one mineral on the surface of a crystal of a different mineral in a definite orientation determined by the atomic structures of the two minerals (from Photo-Atlas of Minerals Glossary). What this means for this specimen is that the Pseudoboleite is the raised step found on all 6 six sides. Please specify specimen A (left) or specimen B (right).

click on image for larger view

PSMAL8-1 Pseudomalachite $36 SOLD

Cerro Colorado Mine, Cerro Colorado
Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile

4.3 cm x 4 cm x 3.5 cm

Dark spheres of Pseudomalachite (Cu₅[(OH)₂|PO₄]₂) on matrix. This phosphate is not in the same chemical family as the carbonate Malachite (Cu₂[(OH)₂|CO₃]) although both are found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. It gets its name due to its physical resemblance to Malachite.

click on image for larger view

PYR5-10 Pyrite and Calcite $165 SOLD

Nanisivik Mine, Nanisivik, Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada

12.3 cm x 8.0 cm x 7.6 cm

I have never seen any better rectangular Pyrites (FeS₂) than the ones on this piece. Unlike the basic cubic form, these crystals are elongated in at least one direction, and sometimes have different lengths in all 3 directions, with beveled edges.

click on image for larger view

PYR6-1 Pyrite stalactite $36 SOLD

Huanzala Mine, Huallanca District
Dos de Mayo Province, Huánuco Department, Peru

1 cm x 5.3 cm x 1 cm

When mineral-containing liquid drips from the ceiling of a cave, pocket or vug, the droplet leaves behind a ring of deposited minerals that were dissolved in the droplet. This ring eventually grows into a straw-like stalactite formation, gaining thickness if additional flow goes over the outside. This particular stalactite specimen consists of Pyrite (FeS₂) crystals growing radially outward from a central hole that runs the length of the specimen. The right-hand photo shows a top view of the specimen, giving a good look at the central hole.

click on image for larger view

PYRC8-1 Pyrochlore $65 SOLD

Tatarka River, Enisei Range, Krasnoyarsk Territory
Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia

3.5 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm

This specimen is a rather large single crystal of the niobium oxide Pyrochlore ((Ca,Na)₂Nb₂O₆(OH,F)). The mineral Pyrochlore is one of the principal ores of niobium, an interesting element that is also called columbium. Niobium is used to confer heat resistance in metal alloys, and we used it in some of our smaller rocket engines when I worked at Rocketdyne. This heavy crystal is an attractive rare mineral – it looks like it was carved out of a lustrous wood.

Galleries of Sold Specimens:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XY Z

Agates Sold Calcites Sold Mont St-Hilaire Sold


	Sold Specimens, Gallery P Galleries of Sold Specimens: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XY Z Agates Sold Calcites Sold Mont St-Hilaire Sold NOTE: Petarasite and Polylithionite from Mont St-Hilaire have been moved to Mont St-Hilaire Sold click on image for larger view PAPG5-1 Papagoite $125 SOLD Ajo Mine, Ajo, Little Ajo Mts, Ajo District, Pima Co., Arizona, USA (TL) 8.3 cm x 8.5 cm x 4.2 cm This large, rich specimen of Papagoite, CaCu[H₃AlSi₂O₉], is from the type locality (TL). Most of the coverage is in the form of a crust, but as you turn the specimen under the light, you can see the sparkle of many sub-millimeter-sized crystals. Use of a loupe or a low-power microscope reveals their prismatic shapes embedded in the crust. click on image for larger view PEC6-1 Pectolite $85 SOLD Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Québec, Canada 6.3 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm Little wheat-sheaf clusters, sprays and bowties of pure Pectolite (NaCa₂[HSi₃O₉]) piled on top of each other to form an airy specimen. It fluoresces a sort of pink-yellow-orange under both SWUV and LWUV, more strongly with the latter. click on image for larger view PHEN9-1 Phenakite on Quartz $18 SOLD Mt. Foster, Bennett, Atlin Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada 8.0 cm x 3.2 cm x 2.6 cm; largest crystal size ~ 3 mm A Quartz fragment sprinkled with about 2 dozen clear, small Phenakites (Be₂[SiO₄]) from an unusual locality. click on image for larger view PHOE9-1 Phoenicochroite $32 SOLD Potter-Cramer Mine, Vulture District Vulture Mts, Maricopa Co., Arizona 4.8 cm x 4.2 cm x 3.9 cm A miniature-sized sample with a coating of resinous, red Phoenicochroite, Pb₂[O\|CrO₄]. It requires 60 x on my microscope to discern any crystals, and there are only a few of them hiding out on this specimen. click on images for larger view FOV= 5 mm x 5.5 mm FOV= 6 mm x 5 mm click on images for larger view FOV= 1.2 mm x 1 mm PhCa9-1 Phosphosiderite and Cacoxinite $75 SOLD Folgosinho, Gouveia, Guarda District, Portugal 8 x 6.4 x 4 cm By now you should have guessed that I have a new toy: a digital microscope, as evidenced by the alarming plethora of close-up photos. Purple balls of Phosphosiderite (FePO₄·2H₂O) and yellow crusts of Cacoxinite (Fe³⁺₂₄Al[(OH)₁₂\|O₆\|(PO₄)₁₇] · 17H₂O) decorate this specimen. If you go to the enlargement of the lower left photo and scan the lower right for something resembling a yellow slice of pizza, then you can see the only radial spray of Cacoxinite that I was able to capture in a photo. click on images for larger views - side view click on images for larger views - top view blue spheres of Plumbogummite curved orange barrels of Campylite Plumbogummite over yellow cores of Mimetite yellow-green grains of Pyromorphite PLB6-1 Plumbogummite, Mimetite and Pyromorphite $165 SOLD Dry Gill Mine, Caldbeck Fells, Cumbria, England, UK 4.4 cm x 2.3 cm x 2 cm This specimen of yellow-green Pyromorphite (Pb₅[Cl\|(PO₄)₃]) on top of blue Plumbogummite (PbAl₃[(OH)₅\|(PO₄)₂] • H₂O) with orange and yellow Mimetite (Pb₅(AsO₄)₃Cl) dates to about the 1830s and was previously in the Liz and Dave Hacker collection. Much like the recently discovered Plumbogummites of China, this specimen has Mimetite cores coated with Plumbogummite - see the photo in the lower left and look for the yellow circle surrounded by blue just below the photo's center. It also has a patch of orange Mimetite of the variety Campylite. A very rare locality piece only available when collections are recycled. click on left image for larger view image on right is 10 x 6 mm POSN9-1 Posnjakite $95 SOLD Drakewalls Mine, Gunnislake Area, Callington District Cornwall, England, UK 4 cm x 2.5 cm x 2.8 cm Posnjakite (Cu₄[(OH)₆\|SO₄] · H₂O) is an uncommon copper sulfate that forms in the oxidized zone of copper-bearing hydrothermal mineral deposits. This specimen comes with an older-looking label from David New Minerals. click on images for larger views image on right is 3 x 2 mm POW9-2 Cuprian Powellite $35 SOLD Jardinera No. 1 Mine, Inca de Oro, Chañaral Province, Atacama Region, Chile 6.3 cm x 3.8 cm x 3.9 cm Green Cuprian Powellite (Ca[MoO₄]) crystals in vugs. Surprisingly, even with the copper content, the Powellite still fluoresces bright cream-yellow under SWUV. click on images for larger views GEO10-01 Prehnite Nodule $55 SOLD ex Linda St-Cyr collection Wave Hill, Victoria-Birrindudu Basin, Northern territory, Australia 7.3 cm x 5.6 cm x 2.8 cm A solid nodule of green Prehnite : (Ca₂Al₂Si₃O₁₂(OH)) with white and brown inclusions. Natrolite is reported from this locality, so that would be my guess for the composition of the pale inclusions, a portion of which is seen in close-up at bottom left. I particularly like the rind on this one since it is unusual to see a Prehnite inside a rind, and it forms a nice frame. This nodule half was in my geode-nodule case when it received first place 4 times at the San Diego County Fair. PRET9-1 Pretulite $95 SOLD Höllkogel Mt., Alpl, Freßnitzgraben, Krieglach, Fischbacher Alpen Mts, Styria, Austria (TL) 3.4 cm x 2.1 cm x 2 cm Pretulite (ScPO₄) is one of only a few scandium-containing minerals, and this specimen comes from the type locality for Pretulite. The Pretulite is the yellowish material. The blue matrix consists of Lazulite in Quartz. Specimen A click on image for larger view Specimen B PSB9-1 Pseudoboleite (TL) on Boleite (TL) $55 SOLD Santa Rosalía, Boleó District, Mun. de Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico specimen A: 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm SOLD specimen B: 4 mm x 4 mm x 4 mm SOLD Pseudoboleite (Pb₃₁Cu₂₄Cl₆₂(OH)₄₈) is a rare mineral that usually only occurs as sub-millimeter crystals. But in Santa Rosalía, it is found growing epitaxially on Boleite (KPb₂₆Ag₉Cu₂₄(OH)₄₈Cl₆₂). Epitaxy is defined as: The growth of a crystal of one mineral on the surface of a crystal of a different mineral in a definite orientation determined by the atomic structures of the two minerals (from Photo-Atlas of Minerals Glossary). What this means for this specimen is that the Pseudoboleite is the raised step found on all 6 six sides. Please specify specimen A (left) or specimen B (right). click on image for larger view PSMAL8-1 Pseudomalachite $36 SOLD Cerro Colorado Mine, Cerro Colorado Iquique Province, Tarapacá Region, Chile 4.3 cm x 4 cm x 3.5 cm Dark spheres of Pseudomalachite (Cu₅[(OH)₂\|PO₄]₂) on matrix. This phosphate is not in the same chemical family as the carbonate Malachite (Cu₂[(OH)₂\|CO₃]) although both are found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits. It gets its name due to its physical resemblance to Malachite. click on image for larger view PYR5-10 Pyrite and Calcite $165 SOLD Nanisivik Mine, Nanisivik, Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada 12.3 cm x 8.0 cm x 7.6 cm I have never seen any better rectangular Pyrites (FeS₂) than the ones on this piece. Unlike the basic cubic form, these crystals are elongated in at least one direction, and sometimes have different lengths in all 3 directions, with beveled edges. click on image for larger view PYR6-1 Pyrite stalactite $36 SOLD Huanzala Mine, Huallanca District Dos de Mayo Province, Huánuco Department, Peru 1 cm x 5.3 cm x 1 cm When mineral-containing liquid drips from the ceiling of a cave, pocket or vug, the droplet leaves behind a ring of deposited minerals that were dissolved in the droplet. This ring eventually grows into a straw-like stalactite formation, gaining thickness if additional flow goes over the outside. This particular stalactite specimen consists of Pyrite (FeS₂) crystals growing radially outward from a central hole that runs the length of the specimen. The right-hand photo shows a top view of the specimen, giving a good look at the central hole. click on image for larger view PYRC8-1 Pyrochlore $65 SOLD Tatarka River, Enisei Range, Krasnoyarsk Territory Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia 3.5 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm This specimen is a rather large single crystal of the niobium oxide Pyrochlore ((Ca,Na)₂Nb₂O₆(OH,F)). The mineral Pyrochlore is one of the principal ores of niobium, an interesting element that is also called columbium. Niobium is used to confer heat resistance in metal alloys, and we used it in some of our smaller rocket engines when I worked at Rocketdyne. This heavy crystal is an attractive rare mineral – it looks like it was carved out of a lustrous wood. Galleries of Sold Specimens: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XY Z Agates Sold Calcites Sold Mont St-Hilaire Sold
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