Group of kyanite crystals, of gem quality, with transparency and when light passes through them they offer an exceptional color. They are accompanied on the matrix by brown staurolite crystals and paragonite (Na mica). They stand out on a clear schistose matrix. A quality European piece that is difficult to see today. Classic and aesthetic material from this famous Swiss locality from the E. Nicolau collection (Barcelona).

Size: 8 x 6 x 3 cm.
Main crystal: 50 x 0.8 mm.
Found in ±1990.

Col. E. Nicolau (Barcelona).

Aggregate of brilliant, little reddish, fragmented dufrénoysite crystals. They are arranged in a cavity of the dolomite matrix, along with pyrite. Dufrénoysite belongs to the sartorite group and has a Lengenbach type locality.

Size: 7.3 x 5.1 x 4 cm.
Main crystal: 6 mm.

Type Locality

Excellent specimen formed by numerous sheaf aggregates of stilbite (Desmin in the label) crystals. Colourless to slightly yellowish. They are accompanied by smoky quartz crystals, very visible on the backside of the specimen. This piece belongs from the Freiberg Bergakademie, specifically its label tells us that it was sold in the shop that was created to sell minerals, surely for students. The handwritten label can be related to Wilhelm Maucher (maucherite, 1879-1930), a mineralogist and mineral dealer in Munich and who was a "faktor" with the school between 1904 and 1909.

Size: 10.4 x 5.5 x 2.8 cm.
Found in ±1904-1909.

Freiburg Bergakademie Mineralien-Niederlage.

Doubly terminated smoky quartz crystal, very well defined, brilliant and transparent. It is disposed on a matrix with adularia crystals.

Size: 3.9 x 3.4 x 2.9 cm.
Main crystal: 3.1 cm.

Group of smoky quartz crystals of a very good size, complete, doubly terminated and with parallel growth. With transparence and brilliance and a uniform smoky tone. It comes from this classic Swiss locality.

 

Size: 8.4 x 5 x 4.3 cm.

Classic locality

Specimen with a visible aggregate of asbecasite, with crystal faces. Yellowish color. Disposed on a matrix with hexagonal crystals of clinochlor. A species not easy to find. This specimen comes from the type locality.

Size: 4.7 x 4.3 x 2.6 cm.
Found in ± 2005.

Type Locality

Specimen with a visible aggregate of asbecasite, with crystal faces. Yellowish color. Disposed on a matrix with hexagonal crystals of clinochlor. A species not easy to find. This specimen comes from the type locality.

Size: 5.8 x 4.9 x 3.6 cm.
Found in ± 2005.

Type Locality

Really good specimen from the high Swiss mountains of the Galenstock area, 3586 m., known for its smoky quartz. This good sized piece shows several of them, with excellent transparence, very uniform smoky tone, with defined faces and edges and partially covered with 'chlorite'. They are accompanied in the matrix with numerous crystals of adularia (variety of feldspar K), well defined. A piece for the display.

Size: 11 x 7 x 6 cm.
Main crystal: 3.3 x 1.5 cm.
Found in 2017.

A glassy, translucent to transparent, very sharp, colorless adularia interpenetrated crystals from this classic Swiss locality. Green chlorite has nicely dusted and accented this excellent piece, which is complete all-around and is essentially pristine, except for contacting at the base. An old specimen.
Val Giuv is very rich in Alpine-type fissures, in particular, the Giuv syenite. Pockets are unevenly distributed and are concentrated along the southern boundary of the Giuv syenite rock body. Alpine-type fissures also occur in the aplite dikes but differ slightly in their paragenesis (beryllium minerals like milarite only occur in and around aplites).

Size: 6.5 x 6 x 5.5 cm.
Found in 1970's

Ex. L. Daunis (Barcelona)

Rich group of needle to fibrous like dufrénoysite crystals, brilliant and disposed in a vug (12x7 mm) in the dolomite matrix. Dufrénoysite is now a member of sartorite group. With the FGL (Forschungsgemeinschaft Lengenbach) label L-10-4404 and from the Type Locality.

Size: 6.5 × 4.5 × 2.5 cm
Found in 2010.

Localidad Tipo - Type Locality

Piemontite specimens from this Swiss area are uncommon. We can see groups of prismatic radiated deep red piemontite crystals embeded and contrasting with the white quartz matrix. Accompanied by black layers of braunite. Piemontite has been analyzed (ARM1581) and we will send results to the buyer.

Size: 4.0 x 2.4 x 1.0 cm.

Piemontite specimens from this Swiss area are uncommon. We can see groups of prismatic radiated deep red piemontite crystals embeded and contrasting with the white quartz matrix. Accompanied by black layers of braunite. Piemontite has been analyzed (ARM1581) and we will send results to the buyer.

Size: 7.0 x 5.5 x 3.6 cm.

Analyzed specimen with report

A very curious piece composed by a group of quartz crystals, one of them of greater size, with a slight smoky tone and an exceptional transparence. Black almost metallic inclusions of hematite are observed in the top faces of the crystal. Also on them. With a minor feldspar matrix. A very aesthetic specimen.

Size: 4.5 x 4.4 x 3.2 cm.
Main crystal: 37 x 14 mm.

Rich group of prismatic elongated tremolite crystals, with defined forms, some doubly terminated, with terminal faces. They are disposed in a dolomite saccharoid matrix. A really fine specimen, good size and from the type locality. From the Ruilbeurs collection. Unusual in the market.

Size: 12.0 x 8.4 x 4.5 cm.
Main crystal: 40 x 7 mm.
Found in 1974.

Localidad tipo / Type locality
Fluorescent under long wave UV

From a locality not well represented in collections, we can enjoy this specimen formed by several fibrous aggregates of actinolite (byssolite), brilliant and with a greenish color. Disposed on a matrix with quartz and albite.

Size: 7.4 x 4.0 x 2.5 cm.

Small group of very brilliant seligmannite crystals, like mirrors, gray to dark brown color. They show well defined faces and edges. Accompanied by needle-like crystals of dufrénoysite, with fibrous appearance and almost black color, interpenetrating with seligmannite. A premium quality specimen for systematic collectors. BOTH SPECIES have the type locality in Lengenbach.
Code: LB 779 (1999)

Size: 5.1 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm.
Main crystal: 3 x 2 mm.
Found in 1999.

A really interesting specimen of this uncommon sulphosalt. It presents elongated crystals, one with terminal faces, metallic luster and it is accompanied by brilliant realgar red crystals, some of them grew on sartorite. On the LGB dolomite matrix with pyrite. From this classic Swiss locality, type locality for the species.
Code: L 23.729 (1992)

Size: 4.3 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm.
Main crystal: 7.5 x 3.5 mm
Found in 1992.

Isolated crystal of asbecasite showing different faces and quite defined forms for the species. Orange color is evident. It is disposed on a matrix with clinochlore and albite. A difficult species to be found. This specimen is from the type locality.

Size: 6.1 x 4.8 x 1.3 cm.
Main crystal: 3 x 3 mm.

Exceptional specimen of asbecasite. Exceptional for the size of the crystals, their color and abundance. They show some defined faces and some of them are partially covered by chlorite and fine needles schorl-dravite. Not easy to find on the market. From the type locality.

Size: 6.5 x 4.8 x 2.6 cm.
Main crystal: 5 x 3 mm.

Find specimens of this rare arsenite-silicate is a hard job. In this specimen we have an aggregate of crystals of asbecasite, with a good orange color, with some visible faces, but fragmented. It is accompanied in the matrix by chlorite, quartz and epidote crystals. A specimen to represent the species in a systematic collection. From the type locality for the species.

Size: 3.8 x 2.8 x 1.6 cm.
Main crystal: 4 x 2 mm. (aggr)

We always try to bring pieces from our travels to Switzerland. This curious specimen of siderite from the near Goms area is an example. This is a group of rhombohedral siderite crystals that show a curious and unusual curved parallel growth. They are partially covered by calcite and albite, accompanied by brilliant muscovite. From an unusual Swiss locality.

Size: 7,4 x 4,5 x 4,5 cm.
Found in 2007.