Deep red garnet crystals in matrix from Rio Grande do Norte. These crystals are dodecahedral, with very small additional modification faces. In excellent condition – no damage – this is rare from this locality, because the almandine crystals are trapped in solid rock and usually chip when they are exposed. The crystal colour is dark, […]

A beautiful Brazilian aquamarine crystal, with sharp, glassy faces. This specimen is really about the brilliant termination faces – it is like a faceted gem (natural, of course). The singly-terminated crystal is transparent and in excellent condition, no damage. Super! Browse more specimens from Brazil (click here)

This is a gorgeous Brazilian gem aquamarine. The crystal is water-clear. It is singly-terminated and well-formed, with very delicate natural etching features all over, visible with magnification. Great modification faces around the termination of the crystal. This specimen is in excellent condition, no damage. At the base, there is are inclusions of muscovite crystals. Superb! […]

A pair of green tourmaline crystals in matrix, with great lustre, sharp striations and faces. The lower crystal clearly exhibits a phenomenon that is likely present in the upper crystal as well: the core of the elbaite has been hollowed out and replaced by quartz. This has been discussed by John S. White in “Quartz […]

A fine green tourmaline crystal in matrix, with a deeper green zone at the termination while  the rest is an attractive mid-green.  Nice contrast with the matrix of lepidolite, feldspar and quartz. In very good  condition, a small chip along the prism edge and some contacting at the termination edge. Because they are extracted from […]

This piece features an interlocking pair of spectacular fluorapatite crystals from the famous 2006 pocket at the Sapo Mine. These crystals are sharp, glassy and so amazing that they look as if they were machined (of course they are natural). They are doubly-terminated and exhibit two orders of pyramidal (“bevel”-like) faces. The crystal pair measures […]

This is a superb specimen. The main crystal is 4.4 cm, is sharp and lustrous with great colour. It was brought out in 2001, among a large lot of these produced in the early heyday at the locality – I acquired it years ago from Frank and Wendy Melanson. In fantastic condition – one tiny […]

A great specimen of black-mirror hematite crystals with sharp deep golden rutile crystals. The hematite crystals are sharp and lustrous. They have some thickness to them – they are not thin blades. The cluster is fully developed on the backside as well. In excellent condition, no damage to the hematite crystals as I’d display it […]

A beautiful curved stack of green fluorapatite crystals from the Sapo Mine, with a second less pronounced stack intertwined with it. This specimen is quite interesting in that the crystals have more pronounced pyramidal faces than is typical for this find. In excellent condition, a tiny chip in one terminal face. The fourth photo shows […]

A water-clear quartz crystal enclosing delicate golden needle-like crystals of rutile. The quartz crystal is sharp, glassy and lustrous, and in excellent condition. A beautiful Brazilian rutilated quartz.  

A super lattice of reticulated rutile crystals on quartz. These rutile crystals are deep red-brown, and they have bright lustre. The quartz upon which the rutile crystals are sitting has etching patterns (visible under magnification) – the rutile crystal lattice was exposed by this etching event, and some small quartz crystals that formed in conjunction […]

This is a gorgeous lattice of reticulated rutile crystals on quartz. These rutile crystals are deep red-brown, and they have bright lustre. The quartz upon which the rutile crystals are sitting has etching patterns (visible under magnification) – the rutile crystal lattice was exposed by this etching event. A beautiful reticulated rutile from the John […]