Well-defined twinned microcline crystal from a very unusual locality, not seen in collections. It cbelongs from the collection of Peter Seroka, known for his interest in feldspars.

Size: 6.2 x 3.5 x 2.7 cm.

Col. Peter Seroka (L'Escala, Girona) #987

This specimen from the Freiberg Bergakademie is accompanied by a very old label, probably from the early to mid-19th century, along with a more "modern" one. When in doubt about the description of the labels, we proceeded to analyze the specimen using SEM-EDS. By this spectroscopic technique we have been able to confirm that the beige crystals included in the piece are titanite. The white matrix corresponds to potassium feldspar, most likely microcline, and the black elongated prismatic crystals correspond to aegirine-augite. It is a historical specimen from a Norwegian locality known for centuries for mining magnetite in skarns. We will send all analyzes to the buyer.

Size: 7 x 6.1 x 3.9 cm.
Main crystal: 18 mm.
Found in s. XIX.

Freiberg Bergakademie.
Analyzed specimen with report

Group of tabular enstatite crystals that have been pseudomorphized by steatite, a variety of talc. Defined, black color and good sized. They are usually accompanied by chloroapatite, beige in color, as we can see in the sample. Specimens from this locality are very rare and even less so with this quality, The mines are now closed and most of the dumps are overgrown by forest. It is accompanied by a handwritten label that we can place at the beginning of the s. XX, from the collection of the Freiberg Bergakademie.

Size: 5.7 x 3.9 x 2.4 c m.
Main crystal: 5.7 x 3.1 cm.
Found in s. XIX-XX.

Freiberg Bergakademie

A very hard to find enstatite specimen from the Ødegården apatite mines. Prismatic crystal of dark greenish-brown, partially transformed to talc. Accompanied by muscovite. During the 2nd World War, the mines were worked from 1941-1945 under the leadership of Adam Petterson. The mines are now closed and most of the dumps are overgrown by forest. Some of the dumps have been used as masses in construction and reparations of roads in the district.

Size: 5 x 2.3 x 2.2 cm.
Found in ± 1975.

Col. Joan Astor (Barcelona).
Classic locality

A very sharp anatase crystal showing the tetragonal dipyramid, truncated by the pinacoidal faces. Brilliant, with almost black color but with bluish reflections, metallic luster. The crystal has a small damage in the back edge, which does not affect aesthetics. With a minor quartz crystals matrix. These crystals appear in the Alpine fissures, most of which are found in the Hardangervidda National Park. A classic European piece from many years ago.

Size: 2.2 x 1.8 x 1.5 cm.

A true classic Norwegian classic. A very sharp hydroxylapatite specimen, very rich in faces and with a white color. The crystal is complete all-around and perfectly disposed on the matrix. These specimens are very appreciated by collectors due to nowadays is difficult find them on the market.

Size: 6.0 x 5.2 x 3.7 cm.
Main crystal: 23 x 21 mm.

A very interesting specimen of silver from Kongsberg, a historical European locality. The Bally-Prior Museum, formed by Eduard Bally (1847-1926) in Schönenwerd (Switzerland), contained objects primarily from the fields of mineralogy and meteoritics, but also from zoology, anthropology, paleontology, archeology, and history. The mineralogical collection originally consisted of 5000 specimens from Switzerland and from worldwide localities. The paleontological and archeological collections consisted of over 5.000 objects. The mineral collection grew to over 10,000 specimens. The Bally-Prior Museum was closed due a lack of financing and its collections were sold off at auction in 2003. A portion of the collection is preserved today in the Cantonal Museum of Geology in Lausanne.

Size: 2.0 x 1.5 x 0.8 cm.

Ex. Bally Museum / Ex. Thomas Rabber coll.