This is a superb calcite crystal from this locality – the Lehigh Portland Cement Quarry (formerly the Union Bridge Quarry), Union Bridge, Maryland. The crystal is sharp and the surfaces show wonderful detail. In excellent condition, a couple of small rubs. A great calcite from the from the Maryland suite of the John S. White […]

These are sharp, lustrous epidote crystals from the Maryland Materials Quarry (North East Quarry). There are small crystals of diopside in association. In excellent condition overall, the large crystal has a chip on the left hand edge of the termination. A fine locality piece from the Maryland suite of the John S. White Collection. About […]

This is a remarkable specimen – a 6.3 cm crystal of schorl tourmaline in matrix from Maryland (!). The specimen has two repairs – one about one quarter of the way up from the base of the crystal and the other repairing it to the matrix. This is one of those one-of-a-kind specimens that is […]

A superb amethyst from the Virginia suite of the John S. White collection. This crystal is sharp, lustrous and  exhibits great transparency. Beautiful phantoms, with really nice colour. In excellent condition, a couple of small chips. A fantastic Virginia amethyst!   About John S. White (click here)  

An historic almandine crystal from Baltimore. The labels include Carter Rich, and Orbit Mineral Co. – the latter indicates that it was acquired from Harold Levey of Baltimore, and originally collected by Charles Ostrander in 1939. Curator of the of the Department of Mineralology at The Natural History Society of Maryland and has been recognized […]

This specimen hosts groups of small green pyromorphite crystals with quartz, best appreciated with some magnification. Some areas on the piece have nicely protected crystals, while in some areas some crystals are incomplete.This is an older specimen, originally in the collection of Michael Dunn, and then in the James Madison University collection. James Madison donated […]

Detailed Description Sharp, glassy datolite crystals on matrix from Leesburg. These are great textbook monoclinic datolite crystals (fairly flattened in habit), with some highly transparent areas. In excellent condition, one chip to the back of the central crystal – from the front/display angle, the edge of it is marginally visible, but not distracting. This locality […]

Detailed Description A gorgeous datolite from Leesburg, Virginia, with sharp, lustrous crystals ranging from translucent to water-clear transparency. In excellent condition. This locality has been known by various names over the years, and is only one locality that has been known by the “Goose Creek” name. Now known as the Luck Goose Creek Plant, it […]

Detailed Description A group of prehnite balls from the Fairfax Quarry. Their colour and internal cloudiness have been attributed to inclusions of amphibole (var. byssolite) and cholrite – small crystals of byssolite and chlorite are visible on this specimen, with magnification, along with sparkling crystals of epidote. One cream calcite crystal is perched on the […]

Detailed Description Gorgeous datolite crystals from Leesburg, Virginia. These crystals are textbook – sharp, lustrous, translucent to transparent. In excellent condition, no damage. An absolute beauty and one of my favourites from the Virginia suite of the John S. White Collection (catalogue no. 6-6-23). About John S. White  

Detailed Description A beautiful tabular crystal of hydroxyapophyllite-(K) from a find at the Chantilly Quarry (one of the less prominent localities of the district). This crystal is a floater, complete all-around. Sharp and lustrous, translucent to transparent (one can easily read printed text through the upper half of the crystal. In excellent condition. Minor laumontite […]

Detailed Description Sharp, lustrous crystals of  hydroxyapophyllite-(K) on sea-green prehnite from the Luck Leesburg Plant. These are beautiful crystals – three larger, and many smaller. In good condition overall – two of the larger crystals are incomplete due to contacts (in the first photo, the left and centre), and one large crystal (on the right in […]