{"title":"Miniature","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"pyromorphite","title":"PYROMORPHITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePyromorphite is one of the many desirable minerals that were mined in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony, Germany. While pyromorphite from the other side of the country in Bad Ems is more well-known, these eastern German pieces are beautiful in their own right - especially when considering that they were some of the first specimens ever identified! This cute miniature consists of grass green barrel-shaped crystals protruding out of matrix in a nice bundle. Great specimen that will make a great addition to a suite of worldwide pyro's or German\/Erzgebirge minerals.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/3442c28ec8fd4c63b67768a975894c60.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Heilige Dreifaltigkeit (\"Holy Trinity\") mine sits southeast of Chemnitz in the Erzgebirge and is most probably the type locality for pyromorphite - a status consistent with its extraordinary specimen history. It appears to be the only mine in the world where pyromorphite was specifically mined for collector purposes: in 1808 a miner broke specimens from old workings on behalf of the Freiberg mineral dealership, and between 1834 and 1835 - long after lead ore extraction had ceased - larger quantities were systematically recovered by a mineral merchant from the Maßner shaft. Crystals occur as dark green to grass-green prismatic, sometimes barrel-shaped, to acicular individuals, occasionally with a yellowish-brown tint, typically reaching a few mm though crystals to 1 cm have been found, predominantly on baryte matrix - a combination that prompted early collectors, including Müller, to treat specimens with acid to clean and enhance them. A rarer chromian variety carries trace chromium oxide in the phosphate structure, shifting the color strongly toward red or orange-red. The galena pseudomorphs after pyromorphite that Zschopau is additionally famous for - \"Blaubleierz\" - document a rejuvenation event in which re-introduced sulfide fluids replaced the secondary phosphate back to galena while perfectly preserving the pyromorphite crystal form. All material is old-stock by definition, with the finest pieces in European museum collections predating systematic mineralogical description of the species.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grube Heilige Dreifaltigkeit, Saxony, Germany","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48277475164448,"sku":"CMPYM004","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0439.jpg?v=1773954946"},{"product_id":"descloizite","title":"DESCLOIZITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSuper aesthetic miniature of the rare lead-zinc vanadate mineral descloizite. From the now closed Berg Aukas Mine in the Otavi Mountain region of Namibia, by far the world's best locale for the mineral species. There's an abundance of the beautiful, sharp dendritic blades that are sought after with these pieces, and they all have multiple patches of iridescence. The crystals also have a homoepitaxial growth on top that gives a super sparkly look when in direct light. As far as Berg Aukas pieces go, this is an excellent representation of what makes pieces from this locale so highly prized.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/d1ec4dbc96084c0d975fa703e9d7e5bf.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBerg Aukas is a Zn-Pb-V deposit hosted in Precambrian Otavi dolomite - the same carbonate-dominated Otavi Mountainland terrane as Tsumeb - worked from 1920 to 1978 with ore averaging 16.8% Zn, 4% Pb, and 0.93% vanadium pentoxide. Descloizite formed as the dominant supergene vanadate in the oxidized zone surrounding primary sphalerite-willemite orebodies, precipitating in vug and fracture fill within karst breccias as descending meteoric waters mobilized vanadium and deposited it as a lead-zinc vanadate hydroxide. A peer-reviewed \u003cem\u003eEconomic Geology\u003c\/em\u003e study (2007) dated the principal descloizite formation to 24–33 Ma, tying it to post-Gondwanan erosional episodes and Atlantic rifting phases rather than to primary mineralization. Crystals occur as spearpoint-shaped blades in divergent sprays, deep chocolate-brown with a submetallic to resinous luster, occasionally carrying a secondary calcite or dolomite overgrowth on crystal faces that produces a distinctive two-toned appearance. Berg Aukas is the undisputed world standard for the species - no other locality has approached it for crystal size or quality - and with mining permanently ceased in 1978, available material is limited to what was extracted across its six decades of operation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Berg Aukas, Otjozondjupa Region, Namibia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48277514191136,"sku":"CMDCZ001","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_9290_33948c35-df7d-46e9-9171-29cda2f4cbdd.jpg?v=1773712867"},{"product_id":"beryl-var-aquamarine-heliodor","title":"BERYL VAR. AQUAMARINE \u0026 HELIODOR","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePresenting this mesmerizing, one-of-a-kind, etched bi-color beryl from Brazil. When viewed from the side, it presents simply as a beautiful heliodor, yet when light is shone down the c-axis  one can clearly see a distinguished zone of beautiful blue-green aquamarine. Both are varieties of beryl, aquamarine getting its color from the presence of ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) and heliodor from inclusions of ferric iron (Fe³⁺). On very rare occasions such as this you'll get both of them growing together, giving the assemblage known as ‘aquador’. What makes this even more of an anomalous specimen is the way that the color zoning occurred - longitudinal, with both the aquamarine and heliodor sections running from base to termination, rather than the more commonly seen axial zoning where the differentiation occurs along the growth of the c-axis. This longitudinal geometry has, to the best of my knowledge, only been described from Brumado in Bahia, although the actual form of this crystal does appear much more like Minas Gerais material. The top and sides are complete, the textures from the etching are fascinating and the top has been transformed from a flat surface into dozens of hexagonal pyramids. There's some contacting on the bottom, though it doesn't look abrasive and it can be hard to distinguish what's contacted and what's etched. The piece weighs 566 carats and if it were to be cut right, the value of the resulting gemstone(s) could be extraordinary. For me it'd be hard to do so, as it's just such a marvelous and unique specimen!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/7061b1920bf74a91985eece04ae2c187.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePadre Paraíso's G5-suite pegmatites within the Araçuaí orogen produce a broad suite of beryl varieties from a single district - aquamarine, heliodor, morganite, and goshenite have all been documented from closely related workings. \"Aquador\" is a trade name applied primarily to crystals exhibiting a continuous prism transitioning from yellow to yellow-green heliodor at the base into pale to medium blue aquamarine at the termination, the color shift recording a change in iron oxidation state during crystal growth: ferric iron in the octahedral aluminum site produces yellow, ferrous iron produces blue. A rarer and more visually striking subset exhibits longitudinal bicolor zoning parallel to the c-axis - one sector of the prism running aquamarine from base to termination while the adjacent sector runs heliodor for the full length, the boundary between them a defined planar demarcation rather than a gradational transition. GIA documentation of analogous geometry in Brumado beryl from Bahia confirms this is a genuine Brazilian beryl phenomenon, attributable to distinct growth sector partitioning of iron oxidation states rather than sequential fluid chemistry shifts over time. A subset of Padre Paraíso material also carries enhydro fluid inclusions - an unusual occurrence in color-zoned beryl. Fully gemmy examples with saturated color contrast in either geometry are the exception among what circulates under the trade name, and longitudinally zoned crystals in particular are rarely recognized as distinct from standard Aquador material in the trade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Padre Paraíso, Minas Gerais, Brazil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48277572190496,"sku":"CMHEL001","price":8500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_23-11-20_15-21-40-296.jpg?v=1717454872"},{"product_id":"grape-chalcedony","title":"GRAPE CHALCEDONY","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eDeep purple grape chalcedony in a small cluster. Lab analysis revealed that these specimens consist of botryoidal amethyst rather than chalcedony, but the title has stuck around as trade names tend to do. The color is quite striking, and the luster glimmering. Fine miniature of a unique and distinctive style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/3744fef61add431b9e1fc7d79f5c6835.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Manakarra deposit sits within Indonesia's Sunda volcanic arc, where Miocene andesite extruded into cold seawater formed pillow lavas with intercalary voids - the same rapid chilling that created the pillows left cavities subsequently filled by low-temperature silica from percolating groundwater. The material is correctly identified as botryoidal amethyst rather than chalcedony, as examination under magnification reveals euhedral quartz crystal terminations on the sphere surfaces; the trade name \"grape chalcedony\" has nonetheless stuck since the material's debut at Denver in 2016 and Tucson in 2017, and is now effectively universal in the market. Purple color is attributed to trace iron in the quartz structure combined with natural irradiation, the same mechanism responsible for conventional amethyst, with manganese potentially contributing in the most intensely colored specimens. Spheroids grow in compact bundles within pillow lava voids, occasionally filling cavities entirely to produce dense clusters that retain the curved outer surface. A rarer green variety occurs alongside the purple, with color attributed to included clay minerals - illite or smectite - derived from mafic host rock alteration. Extraction is entirely by hand through pits sinking several meters into hard andesite, keeping throughput limited; fine specimens with saturated deep purple color, complete spheroids, and intact three-dimensional clusters are a small fraction of total recovery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mamuju Regency, Sulawesi, Indonesia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48277610135840,"sku":"CMAMT035","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_24-06-08_09-48-44-945.jpg?v=1717866362"},{"product_id":"zincite-franklinite","title":"ZINCITE \u0026 FRANKLINITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMasses of zincite crystals interspersed along a mix of franklinite and willemite. There's also a little bit of the rare mineral sussexite present on the back. With shortwave UV, the willemite pops with that neon green glow that the species is famous for. The Franklin mines are the type locality for zincite, franklinite, and sussexite, and the first two are the most recognizable species from the mines. Classic combination piece from one of the most recognizable locales in the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/90d4b5bc5e6d444cb88c55c6c65a8342.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHot metalliferous brines discharged onto a shallow Proterozoic seafloor roughly 1.3 billion years ago deposited the metal-rich sediments that would eventually become the Franklin ore body - subsequent burial to 15–18 km during Grenvillian orogenesis drove temperatures to 750–800°C, recrystallizing the original carbonates into Franklin Marble and transforming those metal-rich layers into franklinite, willemite, and zincite. Franklinite is a zinc-iron-manganese oxide of the spinel group whose jet-black metallic octahedral crystals are largely opaque and non-fluorescent - the iron and manganese suppress luminescence - but occur in dramatic contrast against the deep red of zincite, which derives its color from manganese substitution in the zinc oxide structure. Genuinely large euhedral franklinite crystals are uncommon; the mineral more typically occurs as disseminated granular masses in calcite groundmass, while zincite forms compact hexagonal prisms or anhedral masses associated with it. The Franklin Mine closed in 1954, with Sterling Hill following in 1986, and 359 confirmed species have been documented across the two operations - 19 found nowhere else on earth. Combination specimens with both franklinite and orange zincite on white calcite matrix represent one of the most distinctly American collector pieces in existence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Franklin Mines, New Jersey, USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48286482989344,"sku":"CMZNC001","price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0406_b1b07893-d472-4af6-a6ce-2af3a5a3fa70.jpg?v=1774308625"},{"product_id":"ettringite","title":"ETTRINGITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eAttractive display of rich yellow ettringite popping out of dark manganese-bearing matrix. Most of the crystals are pristine though we’ve adjusted the price to reflect a couple of damaged crystals. The contrast of color and the three-dimensional arrangement certainly make for an attention grabber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/d94866be6c4446f0adfe38aee3af67b7.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWessels is the pre-eminent locality within the Kalahari Manganese Field, the largest land-based manganese deposit on earth hosted in Paleoproterozoic Hotazel Formation banded ironstone - fault-controlled hydrothermal alteration of the primary manganese ore, documented by Beukes, Burger, and Gutzmer (1995), drove the exceptional secondary mineralization responsible for the district's 28 type species, of which Wessels alone produced half. Ettringite belongs to the supergroup of highly hydrated calcium sulfate minerals that crystallized within this hydrothermal alteration zone, precipitating as hexagonal prismatic crystals in vivid lemon-yellow on calcite or hausmannite matrix - the color is intrinsic to the calcium-aluminum sulfate structure rather than a trace chromophore. Confirmed ettringite crystals to 4–5 mm on matrix are documented, with the finest examples characterized by parallel growth groups with complete terminations. The mine remains active under South32 and intermittently produces new material, though collector access is tightly controlled.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wessels Mine, Northern Cape, South Africa","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48286494392608,"sku":"CMETT001","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0380.jpg?v=1773774237"},{"product_id":"blue-topaz","title":"TOPAZ","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGorgeous crystal of vivid sky-blue Brazilian topaz. The top of the crystal is in fantastic condition with a simply extraordinary, unique termination. Aside from a contact point on the bottom, the rest of the piece presents great as well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/77121fa7b7d545d6bbd9dcba46ed90a0.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eItinga sits within the Araçuaí pegmatite district of northeastern Minas Gerais, where Cambrian G4-suite two-mica granites and their associated complex LCT pegmatites produced the fluorine-rich residual melts from which topaz crystallized in open miarolitic cavities. Blue coloration is caused by irradiation-induced lattice color centers - the same mechanism responsible for the treated blue topaz that dominates global gem markets. Crystals from the Teixeirinha and related claims occur as elongated orthorhombic prisms, typically doubly terminated, reaching large sizes while remaining gemmy throughout - some exceeding 400 grams of near-flawless material. A subset of specimens show partial dissolution after primary growth, producing irregular etched surfaces and internal crazing that scatter light dramatically against still-gemmy zones. Associates include muscovite, lepidolite, and rarely zanazziite on matrix. Supply has been periodically refreshed by reworking older claims with modern equipment, and the district continues to produce.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Itinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48286512415008,"sku":"CMTPZ002","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_23-10-25_14-20-49-982.jpg?v=1717454774"},{"product_id":"pyromorphite-2","title":"PYROMORPHITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFlashy miniature consisting of many dozens of barrel-shaped pyromorphite crystals centered around a large, bright orange main crystal in a very sculptural arrangement. Most of the smaller crystals have cream-colored terminations, which is uncommon and very desirable for specimens from the famous Bunker Hill. A super interesting feature of this specimen is a few \"casts\" where the cluster grew over former crystals that were intergrown with the rest and later dissolved. Thus, this piece could be considered an epimorph! The whole thing is in excellent condition, the main crystal is pristine and just has some etching along the top. Pyro's from this legendary and long-defunct mine are considered some of the best worldwide and they're getting more sought after year by year, especially ones as well-formed, unique, and sculptural as this. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/2cf536b2a22c42e5af8a9b6d806e35b8.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Coeur d'Alene district sits within Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup sedimentary rocks - argillites, quartzites, and siderite-bearing units - cut by Cretaceous intrusive stocks and structurally complicated by the Lewis and Clark fault system; the Bunker Hill mine worked a series of argentiferous Pb-Zn veins from 1885 until closure in 1988, producing 165 million ounces of silver alongside lead and zinc over its century of operation. Pyromorphite formed in the oxidized zone above galena through reaction with phosphate sourced from the Belt sediments, with color driven in part by trace arsenic substituting into the phosphate site - Dunn's 1982 \u003cem\u003eMineralogical Record\u003c\/em\u003e chemical study documented the arsenic enrichment responsible for the distinctly warm orange-brown hues of the early 1990s finds, setting them apart from the yellower-green 1980s material. Two productive windows defined the specimen history: a mid-1980s glory hole accessed from a high vein that produced multicolored crusts of exceptional luster, and an early 1990s find yielding fat barrel-shaped three-dimensional clusters to 2 cm with a distinctive wet-look surface finish. The mine closed permanently and was designated an EPA Superfund site in 1982 due to widespread lead contamination - no further recovery is possible, making all Bunker Hill pyromorphite genuinely fixed in supply, and the three-dimensional cluster material from the 1990s find particularly scarce.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bunker Hill Mine, Idaho, USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48392040841504,"sku":"CMPYM003","price":900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0788_f9b55d09-1a1f-4c51-8dac-dd0cde43539c.jpg?v=1773970676"},{"product_id":"dumortierite-in-quartz","title":"DUMORTIERITE IN QUARTZ","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eClear quartz sitting on top of and together with a mass of fibrous, deep blue dumortierite. This specimen is in fantastic condition, and the clarity of the quartz allows one to see the crystallization of the dumortierite super clearly - the most desirable attribute of this combination.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOperated primarily to extract blue quartzite as an industrial raw material, the Vaca Morta quarry sits within the São Francisco Craton in western Bahia, where Proterozoic metasedimentary sequences underwent pervasive boron metasomatism - the process responsible for concentrating the aluminum borosilicate dumortierite throughout the host quartzite. The blue color is an intrinsic structural feature of the species tied to iron substitution and charge-transfer interactions rather than a trace impurity, which accounts for its intensity and consistency. First recognized as a collector locality around 2013, Vaca Morta rapidly established itself as the definitive world source for euhedral quartz crystals containing acicular dumortierite inclusions - a combination that exists elsewhere only as a rarity. Habit ranges from tightly packed fibrous blue stripes running parallel to the quartz c-axis to radiating sprays trapped within water-clear terminated prisms, the latter being the most sought-after form. Massive dumortierite on milky quartz matrix is more common and considerably more affordable than the inclusion-in-crystal material, which requires exceptional host clarity to display effectively. The quarry continues to operate intermittently, but fine inclusion specimens have never been abundant relative to demand.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Serra da Vereda, Bahia, Brazil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48392056635680,"sku":"CMQTZ008","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0596_b6b37109-b6db-4c06-b19c-0e4494edf612.jpg?v=1773720644"},{"product_id":"pyromorphite-3","title":"PYROMORPHITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAppealing miniature with bright orange color and a wet, glossy luster. Guatomo is an old lead mine that was worked for many years industrially before artisanal specimen collecting was done by a pair of Italian mineral dealers between 1996 and 1998. Both pyromorphite and mimetite do occur from this locality, and it's essentially impossible to know if this is an intermediate member of the solid solution series between the two or just arsenian pyromorphite without proper lab analysis. In my opinion, as far as color and luster go, these pieces rival the great pyro's to come out of the legendary Bunker Hill Mine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDo note, the specimen color comes across as more saturated in the photos than in real life, please refer to the video for the most accurate representation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/c6ffa1c0195541a48d8872e4b362f3e5.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Pb-Sn skarn deposit formed by granite intrusion into limestone in the southern Thai Peninsula, the Guatomo Mine near Tham Thalu was worked for tin concentrate from the early 1980s until the collapse of world tin prices ended production in 1985. Descending oxidizing fluids reacted with galena in a gossan-dominated supergene zone, precipitating yellow to yellow-orange hexagonal crystals in fractures cutting hydrothermal quartz veins and adjacent altered granite. Števko et al.'s 2020 electron microprobe study confirmed that the mimetite-pyromorphite series is represented across a wide compositional range at Guatomo - from near end-member mimetite through phosphorus-enriched intermediates to true arsenian pyromorphite - making strict species attribution dependent on analysis rather than appearance. Crystals form short prismatic to tabular prisms with excellent luster on gossan and quartz matrix. The deposit is considered one of the world's classic mimetite localities, with the original discovery documented in the mineralogical literature by Bill Pinch in the 1970s following his recognition of properly labeled specimens at a Japanese institution; material has circulated in collections since, though fine crystallized examples remain consistently difficult to source given the mine's limited production window.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Guatomo Mine, Yala Province, Thailand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48392059453728,"sku":"CMPYM005","price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_26-03-19_18-47-56-733.jpg?v=1773971751"},{"product_id":"dioptase","title":"DIOPTASE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis is an eye-catching cluster of high-quality, gemmy dioptase, perched exquisitely on a quartz matrix, from the type locality for the species. The largest crystal measures to almost an inch, large for the species in general, and stands out even more from Altyn-Tyube. Under strong light, the main crystal shows flashes of emerald fire from the inside, and strong luster on the outside. The main crystal here is absolutely pristine as well. Any blemishes are indistinguishable when viewing it on display, and this is a gorgeous arrangement all around. Though it looks nice already, with careful trimming it could be an even better miniature or thumbnail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/69160eb6135c4719a3c9c29de14feda5.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAltyn-Tyube - translating roughly as \"Golden Hill\" in Kazakh - sits on the Central Asian steppe in Karaganda Region and holds the distinction of being the type locality for dioptase, formally described as a new species by René Just Haüy in 1797 after Kazakh copper miners had initially mistaken the crystals for emeralds. The deposit formed as a secondary copper silicate in the oxidized zone above a copper ore body hosted in a limestone terrain, where copper-bearing solutions interacting with silica-rich groundwater precipitated dioptase in cavities within quartz veins; the vivid emerald-green color is caused by divalent copper in the cyclosilicate structure. Crystals form rhombohedral terminations on stubby hexagonal prisms, typically on matrix of pale tan calcite or quartz, and the best examples from Altyn-Tyube remain competitive with the finest from Tsumeb - and carry the added weight of type locality provenance. The deposit has been sporadically worked since at least neolithic times for its copper content and continues to produce specimens intermittently; because access involves considerable logistical effort in a remote region of Kazakhstan, old-stock material from the Soviet era and post-independence operations circulates regularly in the European market and tends to be underappreciated relative to its quality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Altyn-Tyube, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48398892859680,"sku":"CMDPT002","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/DPTS2-1.jpg?v=1775510190"},{"product_id":"wulfenite-on-fluorite","title":"WULFENITE ON FLUORITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBright orange blades of wulfenite on a chunk of botryoidal fluorite, self-collected by the Aether crew from the Red Cloud Mine in January of 2024. When we found the pocket where this specimen was housed, it took a good deal of careful effort to get it out, and there were only a couple of larger crystals in there. All of the blades just pop out of the contrasting fluorite underneath. What makes this already attractive specimen even more appealing is the glow of the fluorite under both long and shortwave UV light, showing a deep blue and adding a whole new level of contrast. Though the combination of wulfenite on fluorite is relatively common from Red Cloud, they seem difficult to find on the open market, I'd assume due to the difficulty of keeping the pieces together after extraction. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/bd5698842f104840b583b747f67f38e1.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTucked into the Trigo Mountains of Arizona's Sonoran Desert, the Red Cloud Mine is a small silver-lead deposit in which wulfenite crystallized in the oxidized zone above galena as descending groundwater carried dissolved lead and molybdenum downward. What distinguishes Red Cloud from other notable wulfenite localities - Tsumeb, Los Lamentos, Touissit - is a chromatic anomaly traced to trace chromium leached from monzonite country rock in the footwall; chromate ions substituting into the molybdate site of the crystal structure act as a strong orange-red chromophore through a ligand field effect, pushing the color well beyond the yellows and pale oranges that molybdate alone produces. The substitution is essentially a solid solution between wulfenite and the chromate analogue crocoite at the parts-per-thousand level - enough to saturate the color dramatically without detectable crocoite crystallizing separately. Crystals are tabular with the characteristic wulfenite square or rectangular outline; the largest known examples, collected by Ed Over working alone underground in 1938 with minimal equipment, reached roughly 6 cm. Production has always been sporadic and supply perpetually behind demand - a pattern repeating through the original 1880s mining, Over's 1938 finds, a 1996 open-pit operation, and Colorado Calumet's early 2000s work. Fine Red Cloud wulfenites have never been plentiful enough to satisfy the collector market, and old Ed Over material is genuinely rare.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Red Cloud Mine, Arizona, USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48398912553248,"sku":"CMWLF013","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_0474_c841c75c-e8a3-45ca-bef5-af698d0e8962.jpg?v=1774307970"},{"product_id":"fluorite-with-chalcopyrite-arsenopyrite","title":"FLUORITE WITH CHALCOPYRITE \u0026 ARSENOPYRITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eDensely grown, partially twinned crystals of highly transparent, pleasant purple fluorite cubes, accented all around to varying degrees by quartz points, arsenopyrite, and chalcopyrite. Much of the chalcopyrite is dotted along the front faces of the fluorite, giving it a glittery look under strong lighting. The fluorite also has a layer of iridescence along the faces, though this was difficult to photograph.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/44c2aa48e71c43a698c55ebdfd34c587.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYaogangxian is one of China's largest tungsten-tin deposits, developed in the contact aureole of a Mesozoic composite pluton - zircon U-Pb dating places the biotite monzogranite at roughly 155 Ma and the associated muscovite granite at 133 Ma - intruded into Cambrian through Jurassic sediments. Fluorite crystallized during the final hydrothermal stage, crosscutting earlier wolframite-quartz and sulfide veins as fluids cooled and fluorine activity peaked; fluid inclusion microthermometry from peer-reviewed work confirms this stage operated at lower temperatures and salinities than the primary tungsten mineralization. Color at Yaogangxian is predominantly attributed to irradiation-induced lattice defects and trace rare earth elements, accounting for the full range from water-clear through sky-blue to deep violet - frequently within a single crystal as concentric phantom zones recording shifting fluid chemistry. Crystals are sharp cubes, occasionally with minor octahedral modification, and the complex internal zoning is the defining characteristic: most prized pieces show a saturated purple or blue core ghosted inside a paler exterior. The mine has produced sporadically but continuously since at least the 1990s, with certain pockets yielding entirely distinct color suites from anything previously seen; supply is ongoing but highly pocket-dependent, making quality deeply inconsistent year to year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan, China","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49026766897440,"sku":"CMFLR011","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_1009-2.jpg?v=1768954253"},{"product_id":"fluorite-3","title":"FLUORITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eCompletely water-clear cubes of virtually colorless fluorite with partial purple phantoms able to be seen right in the middle. This transparency is one of the most sought after attributes in Yaogangxian specimens, and is on full display here!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/07a0fabe5e994122a899d63611e9fe5d.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYaogangxian is one of China's largest tungsten-tin deposits, developed in the contact aureole of a Mesozoic composite pluton - zircon U-Pb dating places the biotite monzogranite at roughly 155 Ma and the associated muscovite granite at 133 Ma - intruded into Cambrian through Jurassic sediments. Fluorite crystallized during the final hydrothermal stage, crosscutting earlier wolframite-quartz and sulfide veins as fluids cooled and fluorine activity peaked; fluid inclusion microthermometry from peer-reviewed work confirms this stage operated at lower temperatures and salinities than the primary tungsten mineralization. Color at Yaogangxian is predominantly attributed to irradiation-induced lattice defects and trace rare earth elements, accounting for the full range from water-clear through sky-blue to deep violet - frequently within a single crystal as concentric phantom zones recording shifting fluid chemistry. Crystals are sharp cubes, occasionally with minor octahedral modification, and the complex internal zoning is the defining characteristic: most prized pieces show a saturated purple or blue core ghosted inside a paler exterior. The mine has produced sporadically but continuously since at least the 1990s, with certain pockets yielding entirely distinct color suites from anything previously seen; supply is ongoing but highly pocket-dependent, making quality deeply inconsistent year to year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yaogangxian Mine, Hunan, China","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49065487368480,"sku":"CMFLR010","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_26-03-17_13-06-14-557.jpg?v=1773778051"},{"product_id":"fluorite-4","title":"FLUORITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eInterlinked floater group of deep pink fluorite octahedra, with fibrous inclusions of green actinolite inside. While Huanggang briefly provided collectors with a more accessible alternative to the premium-priced alpine pink fluorites, production of such quality specimens has essentially ceased. Whether or not we see more of these specimens come out in the future, this one is nice for its attractive form, lack of points of attachment, and the subtle touch added by the inclusions in the crystals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/2d31b01702c34a2980adbf6e14d47836.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHuanggang is a skarn-type iron-tin deposit formed during Yanshanian magmatism around 136–138 Ma, when evolved syenogranite intruded Permian andesitic country rock and drove high-temperature, high-salinity hydrothermal fluids through calcareous horizons - fluorite crystallized as a proximal skarn mineral concentrated in the upper mineralization stages as the fluids cooled. Pink coloration in fluorite is generally attributed to irradiation-induced color centers, though trace rare earth element substitution is also frequently implicated; the specific mechanism at Huanggang has not been formally resolved. Crystals habitually form sharp octahedra, sometimes intergrown in floater clusters and frequently enclosing hair-like byssolite inclusions that create a silky interior character. The No. 6 mine began producing pink material around 2011 in early modest quantities, but the market-significant find was the August 2019 \"Red Pocket,\" which yielded octahedra ranging into deep raspberry-red - the most saturated coloration documented from the deposit. Matrix is almost universally absent due to the fragile calcite and byssolite groundmass crumbling during extraction, making any well-preserved matrix piece exceptional. Supply from the 2019 event has progressively thinned, and nothing comparable has emerged since.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Huanggang Fe-Sn Deposit, Inner Mongolia A.R., China","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49432814879008,"sku":"","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart-24-10-23_08-38-14-362.jpg?v=1729697978"},{"product_id":"pyromorphite-5","title":"PYROMORPHITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFrench pyromorphite is one of those essential European classics. While Les Farges may claim greater fame, Saint-Salvy's specimens are celebrated for their uniquely elegant crystal habit. With numerous tufts of acicular crystals radiating outwards, the appearance is true to the mine in which this piece was born. As shown in the photos, the crystals show exceptional development and aesthetic appeal under magnification!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Saint-Salvy deposit sits within an east-west fault system flanking the late Variscan Sidobre granite in the southern Massif Central, and was worked industrially as one of France's most significant zinc producers - notably one of the world's more important germanium-bearing deposits - with galena present as a subordinate ore. Pyromorphite formed secondarily in the oxidized upper zone as descending groundwaters dissolved galena and reacted with phosphate sourced from apatite in the surrounding carbonaceous Cambrian schists, concentrating lead and phosphate ions at sites where pH conditions favored precipitation. What distinguishes Saint-Salvy pyromorphite from the better-known Les Farges material is the strongly acicular crystal habit - thin, needle-like hexagonal prisms arranged in radiating, chatoyant sprays and spheroidal bundles on dark slate matrix rather than the stout cavernous crystals typical of Corrèze. The color is a saturated lime to emerald green. Mining ceased in the late twentieth century, and while Saint-Salvy never achieved the name recognition of Les Farges internationally, its distinctive habit makes specimens immediately identifiable; fine examples are underrepresented in major collections relative to their quality.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Saint-Salvy Mine, Occitanie, France","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49432850694432,"sku":"","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_1364-2.jpg?v=1773972080"},{"product_id":"corundum-var-ruby","title":"CORUNDUM VAR. RUBY","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHot pink ruby crystals densely clustered together, showing a number of clearly defined faces and edges. Sivec is an ancient locality and one of the most famous deposits of corundum in Europe, and this is a really cute miniature that's also nicely representative! Fantastic bright red UV fluorescence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/e2cf1f1cf3cd49d098a30e384605426e.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sivec quarries exploit white dolomitic marble from the Pelagonian Massif, part of a 1,500-meter-thick metamorphic sequence dated 800-1,000 Ma that underwent regional metamorphism. The marble represents one of the purest dolomite marbles known, quarried since approximately 500 BCE and at peak production during Roman times when it was prized as sculptural stone. Ruby crystals form as tabular hexagonal forms within calcite veins, typically colored pink to purplish-red with occasional color-zoned examples. Specimens range from translucent to opaque with sizes reaching 3-4 cm, often showing characteristic silvery diaspore inclusions oriented in three 60-degree directions. What makes Sivec historically significant is its antiquity; these quarries produced gem corundum used in ancient jewelry and are among Europe's oldest continuously exploited mineral localities. Recent pockets discovered during modern marble exploitation have yielded large, well-formed crystals that rival older museum examples. The ruby forms through aluminum concentration during high-grade metamorphism of aluminous protoliths within the carbonate sequence. With modern dimension stone operations focused on marble rather than specimen recovery, collector-quality Sivec rubies remain scarce.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sivec Mountain, Prilep Municipality, North Macedonia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50595432300832,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_1862.jpg?v=1773705794"},{"product_id":"malachite-shattuckite-on-quartz","title":"MALACHITE \u0026 SHATTUCKITE ON QUARTZ","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVisually superb specimen from finds in Namibia. A highly lustrous, richly colored prismatic crystal of malachite sits right atop the contrasting quartz base, with light blue, botryoidal growths of shattuckite adding a beautiful layer atop the whole ensemble. While the combination of shattuckite and malachite isn't all too uncommon, primary malachite rarely forms as free standing crystals in this association. The contrast and balance between the  three elements combine to make for a really choice miniature!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/bd79d3db1fe54d65beed4fd17f645105.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeoproterozoic copper-bearing dolomites and argillites of the Devede Formation in the Damara Supergroup, part of the Ombombo Subgroup deposited around 760 Ma. The deposits formed through oxidation of primary copper sulfides in hydrothermal veins emplaced during the Pan-African Damara Orogeny between 600-530 Ma. Specimens display botryoidal and spherical aggregates of deep blue shattuckite reaching up to 1 cm diameter, characteristically perched on milky quartz matrix with acicular sprays of emerald green \"primary\" malachite that formed directly as malachite rather than as an alteration from azurite. The visual contrast between velvet blue shattuckite and lustrous green malachite makes these combinations particularly striking. What distinguishes Kandesei is its status as one of the world's premier shattuckite localities - the mine produced exceptional specimens during the 2000s-2010s, with notable finds documented by Charlie Key around 2005-2010. Mining has since been largely abandoned, making quality material increasingly scarce.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kandesei, Kunene Region, Namibia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50595455893792,"sku":null,"price":800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/SHTK1-1.jpg?v=1755279352"},{"product_id":"baryte-1","title":"BARYTE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBaryte from Pöhla are European classics, and for size class, this is a fantastic example. Well-balanced in arrangement, and emplaced on a contrasting white matrix, the two largest crystals are both double terminated, the biggest measuring to 4cm. They're highly lustrous and gemmy, with a rich golden color. The aesthetics are, simply put, superb! This specimen comes from two famous collections, that of Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher (collection #SCH2809) and that of Marty Zinn.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" preload=\"metadata\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/468005cc8278463c95bec2bc5fbd2f2f.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Pöhla-Tellerhäuser deposit occurs in Cambro-Ordovician mica schists with skarn-altered metacarbonates along the Gera-Jáchymov fault zone, part of the Erzgebirge's centuries-old mining district. The mine exploited bismuth-cobalt-nickel-silver-uranium veins from medieval times through 1990, producing 1,240 tonnes of uranium for Soviet nuclear programs during 1947-1990. Baryte forms as amber-golden to butterscotch-colored chisel-shaped or spear-like prismatic crystals reaching 3-5 cm, typically on crystalline quartz matrix with occasional purple fluorite associations. The crystals display exceptional gemmy translucence and glassy luster, occasionally forming doubly-terminated floaters. What makes Pöhla baryte historically significant is its status as Germany's premier golden baryte locality and the European standard against which other occurrences are compared. Most specimens were mined and secretly stashed during Soviet\/East German operations, flooding Western markets briefly after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Material is predominantly older production from early-to-mid 1900s rather than contemporary finds. With mining ceased in 1990 and the deposit now a tourist mine, authentic Pöhla baryte has become increasingly difficult to obtain at the quality level that established the locality's reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pöhla-Tellerhäuser Mine, Saxony, Germany","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50595606659360,"sku":null,"price":700.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/BRYT1-1_d0c3c843-e064-4bbe-b571-84809798927b.jpg?v=1774563053"},{"product_id":"azurite","title":"AZURITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eCluster of sharp azurite crystals with a deep blue hue, showing intense royal blue flashes when hit with light from the right angles. The largest crystal rises up through the middle and is well terminated. Many of the smaller side crystals are contacted, yet the whole piece is largely free from any actual damage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/83b4c577ac3c4ea282e080bf4b0b64f5.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Touissit-Bou Beker district comprises Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits hosted in Middle Jurassic (Aalenian-Bajocian, 174-168 Ma) dolomitized carbonate platform rocks, with mineralization related to basinal brine circulation during the Messinian Salinity Crisis around 5-6 Ma. Azurite forms through supergene weathering of primary galena-sphalerite ores, creating some of the most intensely colored and lustrous specimens known. The crystals typically display deep royal blue to near-cobalt coloration with exceptional clarity, occurring as tabular blades, rosettes, or complex intergrown forms reaching several centimeters. Notable finds include the late January 1990 recovery from the abandoned Bou Beker mine, which produced large miniatures to cabinet-sized specimens with both rosette-like plates and blocky crystals showing bright blue overgrowth faces alternating with darker zones. Production from various shafts - particularly Puits XII (Shaft XII) - yielded specimens often associated with malachite and cerussite on matrix. What distinguishes Touissit azurite is the characteristic silky to adamantine luster combined with color intensity rivaling Tsumeb and Bisbee material. European collectors have long recognized Touissit as a premier azurite locality, though the mines ceased operation decades ago.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Touissit, Oriental Region, Morocco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51069322985760,"sku":null,"price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_2271-2.jpg?v=1768780940"},{"product_id":"wulfenite-with-mimetite","title":"WULFENITE WITH MIMETITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn regards to wulfenite from Los Lamentos, bipyramidal crystals are very rare in comparison to their more common blocky, tabular counterparts, and usually date back to finds in the 1960's and 70's. This right here is an outstanding and important example, with elongated bipyramids reaching almost 3(!) cm in length and showing curved growth through the sculptural assemblage. They exhibit a deep burnt orange color, and are also nicely accented with patches of yellow-green mimetite. Not only is it an important specimen, it has the aesthetics to match. Formerly in the hands of Jean Hamel, who was responsible for many Los Lamentos specimens hitting the market in the late 20th century, and was very selective with pieces he chose for his own collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/de4a5f8adc9c4b809f0c76952e720519.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Los Lamentos deposit consists of a manto-form lead-zinc ore body in Lower Cretaceous reefal limestone, formed through hydrothermal replacement along fractured zones. The wulfenite crystallized through secondary enrichment processes near the water table, concentrating molybdenum from oxidizing galena. Specimens display thick tabular crystals in burnt orange to caramel colors, reaching up to 1.1 cm on edge, characteristically perched on white sparkly calcite matrix. The classic \"sandwich\" habit - showing color zoning from core to rim - is particularly distinctive. Bipyramidal and doubly-terminated crystals also occur, though these are exceptionally rare compared to the typical tabular forms, with most recovered during the 1950s-1960s. What makes Los Lamentos historically significant is its status as one of Mexico's two most prolific wulfenite producers, with tens of thousands of specimens reaching collectors since the 1940s following Foshag's 1934 Economic Geology article. The best stopes containing gem-quality wulfenite remain flooded below the 500-foot level. The mine has been owned by the Licona family since the mid-20th century, with periodic specimen mining continuing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erupción Mine, Chihuhua, Mexico","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51069324689696,"sku":null,"price":1700.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/Picsart_25-08-13_00-28-31-207-2.jpg?v=1766601129"},{"product_id":"azurite-with-malachite","title":"AZURITE WITH MALACHITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eGreat cluster of well-formed, lustrous azurite from this renowned locality. The crystal formation goes all along the top uninterrupted, and the sides show a combination of dickite matrix and azurite beginning to replace the lower layers of azurite. As is expected, the larger crystals are darker in hue, yet show brilliant blue flashes from a variety of angles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/111b75178a314da083f4388034ff08c2.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Milpillas deposit is a Laramide porphyry copper system emplaced around 63.9 Ma in the Cananea district, subsequently oxidized to produce copper carbonates in the upper 200 meters. Mining began in 2006 after the deposit was discovered in 1978, buried beneath 250 meters of Cenozoic gravels that preserved the oxidation zone from erosion. The azurite specimens produced from 2007-2015 are distinguished by electric blue coloration, exceptional luster, and crystals reaching up to 15 cm in elongated diamond-shaped habits. The famous \"watercourse pocket\" or \"tunnel pocket\" find around 2015 yielded plates with brilliant crystals to 4 cm, many as near-floaters on white dickite or clay matrix. What makes Milpillas historically significant is the sheer volume and quality - it produced more world-class azurite in a decade than most localities yield in a century, rivaling Bisbee and Tsumeb. The mine transitioned to chalcocite-dominant sulfide ores in 2015, effectively ending specimen production. The combination of size, color saturation, and crystallographic perfection established Milpillas azurites as the modern standard for the species.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51069343858976,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/AZUR11-1_eea60e62-233c-411b-8376-af5426689da6.jpg?v=1774556294"},{"product_id":"azurite-1","title":"AZURITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThis Watercourse pocket azurite has an excellent balance to it - well-crystallized on both sides, with the front showing a tightly packed, flower-like arrangement of super sharp crystals. The back is less three-dimensional in appearance, yet makes up for it with larger crystals measuring to over 1cm. All of this is formed neatly right on top of the matrix to give a well-rounded appearance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/8260b97a85744378b2605da844a4f708.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-test-render-count=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"group\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex justify-start\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Message actions\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-text-300\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"text-text-300 flex items-stretch justify-between\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex items-center\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"w-fit\" data-state=\"closed\"\u003eThe Milpillas deposit is a Laramide porphyry copper system emplaced around 63.9 Ma in the Cananea district, subsequently oxidized to produce copper carbonates in the upper 200 meters. Mining began in 2006 after the deposit was discovered in 1978, buried beneath 250 meters of Cenozoic gravels that preserved the oxidation zone from erosion. The azurite specimens produced from 2007-2015 are distinguished by electric blue coloration, exceptional luster, and crystals reaching up to 15 cm in elongated diamond-shaped habits. The famous \"watercourse pocket\" or \"tunnel pocket\" find around 2015 yielded plates with brilliant crystals to 4 cm, many as near-floaters on white dickite or clay matrix. What makes Milpillas historically significant is the sheer volume and quality - it produced more world-class azurite in a decade than most localities yield in a century, rivaling Bisbee and Tsumeb. The mine transitioned to chalcocite-dominant sulfide ores in 2015, effectively ending specimen production. The combination of size, color saturation, and crystallographic perfection established Milpillas azurites as the modern standard for the species.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51069345923360,"sku":null,"price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/AZUR12-1.jpg?v=1774556771"},{"product_id":"azurite-with-malachite-1","title":"AZURITE WITH MALACHITE","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFantastic Milpillas miniature with a grouping of highly lustrous, electric blue blades, with the largest measuring to an inch in both length and width. There's another crystal measuring over an inch, along with chatoyant malachite along the side where it's started to pseudomorph the less crystallized azurite. Under direct lighting the color is super vivid, and the main crystals are both in excellent condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/68c78bf96fed4488ab413c7fcfad573d.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Milpillas deposit is a Laramide porphyry copper system emplaced around 63.9 Ma in the Cananea district, subsequently oxidized to produce copper carbonates in the upper 200 meters. Mining began in 2006 after the deposit was discovered in 1978, buried beneath 250 meters of Cenozoic gravels that preserved the oxidation zone from erosion. The azurite specimens produced from 2007-2015 are distinguished by electric blue coloration, exceptional luster, and crystals reaching up to 15 cm in elongated diamond-shaped habits. The famous \"watercourse pocket\" or \"tunnel pocket\" find around 2015 yielded plates with brilliant crystals to 4 cm, many as near-floaters on white dickite or clay matrix. What makes Milpillas historically significant is the sheer volume and quality - it produced more world-class azurite in a decade than most localities yield in a century, rivaling Bisbee and Tsumeb. The mine transitioned to chalcocite-dominant sulfide ores in 2015, effectively ending specimen production. The combination of size, color saturation, and crystallographic perfection established Milpillas azurites as the modern standard for the species.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51069346742560,"sku":null,"price":625.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/AZUR13-1.jpg?v=1774560241"},{"product_id":"malachite-after-copper","title":"MALACHITE AFTER COPPER","description":"\u003ch3\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSharp, distinct, arboreal growths of native copper being replaced by malachite on all sides. Some areas can be seen where unaltered copper is still present. This is a fine miniature that displays well from all sides, and its origin from this classic locality makes is that much better. A former Australian dealer had this one priced at $1,600, and while I’m not sure if that was USD or AUD, this is a great deal either way. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo autoplay=\"autoplay\" muted=\"\" loop=\"loop\" playsinline=\"\" controls=\"controls\" style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/0f0c5542a6934bf892adb74bf01e0bb8.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Broken Hill massive sulfide deposit formed around 1685 Ma through submarine volcanic-exhalative processes, hosting primarily galena and sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite. During recent weathering over the past 500 million years, the oxidation zone developed secondary copper minerals including native copper that subsequently altered to malachite. These pseudomorphs typically preserve dendritic or irregular copper crystal forms now completely replaced or coated by bright green fibrous malachite, often found in association with cuprite and azurite in the friable gossan material. What makes these specimens geologically interesting is that they document supergene weathering affecting one of Earth's oldest and largest lead-zinc-silver deposits - the native copper formed through reduction processes in the oxidation zone, then almost immediately began altering to copper carbonates. The preservation of original copper morphology beneath malachite replacement allows these specimens to illustrate textural relationships in secondary mineral formation. While Broken Hill's malachite after azurite specimens are more famous, the copper pseudomorphs remain comparatively scarce since the deposit's primary mineralization contains relatively little chalcopyrite compared to the dominant lead-zinc sulfides.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broken Hill District, NSW, Australia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51240394490144,"sku":null,"price":900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_2144-2.jpg?v=1773816264"},{"product_id":"chrysoberyl","title":"CHRYSOBERYL","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTwo large crystals of golden-green chrysoberyl, intergrown at the base and each well isolated at the top. Both of them display sixling twinning, on top of showing great luster and gemmy areas.  This twinning is textbook for chrysoberyl, though to find two crystals of such large size that display it on one piece is rare. By visual profile I'd place it as coming from finds of the mid 90's. Ex Jack Halpern and Gene Schlepp.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/3d361bd652dc49c19efaf7f12599e1d9.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePancas sits within the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province, where Neoproterozoic granitic bedrock hosts pegmatites formed during the post-collisional stage of the Araçuaí orogen between roughly 535-490 Ma. The chrysoberyl specimens that appeared primarily in the early 1990s are distinguished by their cyclic twinning - particularly V-shaped twins that can reach exceptional sizes up to 22 cm in length, though most fine specimens range between 2-5 cm. These twins result from repeated intergrowth on the {110} plane at approximately 60-degree angles, creating pseudohexagonal sixling forms where three individuals each occupy 120 degrees of the cyclic arrangement. The crystals typically display olive-green to honey-yellow coloration with glassy luster and varying degrees of translucency, often showing characteristic feather-like striations on termination faces. What makes Pancas material crystallographically significant is the frequency of complete, undamaged floater specimens - crystals that formed unattached in pocket cavities and show sharp terminations all around. While other Espírito Santo localities like Santa Teresa and Colatina produced chrysoberyl during Brazil's mid-20th century \"golden era\" of gem crystal recovery, Pancas remained less systematically exploited and is consequently less known to collectors despite producing some of the largest and most perfectly formed twinned specimens from the province. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pancas, Espírito Santo, Brazil","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51240446361888,"sku":null,"price":2200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_2524-2.jpg?v=1771130285"},{"product_id":"cerussite-with-linarite-posnjakite","title":"CERUSSITE WITH LINARITE \u0026 POSNJAKITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmong the list of unique mineral combinations that Tsumeb produced, this combination of cerussite and linarite is particularly elusive, virtually impossible to find on the open market. Not only is it rare, it also has a captivating and highly aesthetic, almost \"icy\" appearance. The deep blue linarite is grown closely together with blue-green posnjakite, an uncommon copper sulfate. I've seen other samples of this material, this one however is in a league of its own. The linarite and posnjakite each formed in different stages, both as inclusions within and as a coating atop the cerussite crystals, and some of the linarite is clearly formed in small crystals. The cerussite is lustrous, gemmy, and well-formed, with numerous reticulated \"snowflake\" twins covering both sides. There are some areas of other copper mineralization which looks to be brochantite. These pieces are generally said to have come out of the first oxidized zone in the 1920's, and I feel comfortable dating it back to that period of mining. It's rare to find a \"one of one\" specimen from a mine that produced so much material over almost a century, yet I believe this one deserves such a distinction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/0924d9a8f34647b2ae0e90baa1e339a9.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMORE INFO:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCerussite specimens with internal linarite and posnjakite represent one of Tsumeb's more unusual mineral associations, documenting the complex paragenetic sequences within the first oxidation zone. These pieces typically feature tabular cerussite crystals with adamantine luster and varying degrees of translucence, hosting internal zones of deep blue linarite alongside greenish-blue posnjakite inclusions. The assemblage forms through a specific Type II paragenetic sequence first described by Keller in 1977, where primary sulfides weather to brochantite and posnjakite, followed by linarite formation under acidic conditions. What makes these specimens mineralogically significant is that the inclusions preserve a snapshot of this progression - the copper sulfate minerals formed first and were then trapped during cerussite crystallization from lead-bearing solutions. Most commonly, linarite occurs as partial coatings or near-surface inclusions in cerussite, but pieces with both copper minerals distinctly visible within a single crystal are considerably rarer. The color contrast between the two copper species - linarite's deeper blue against posnjakite's lighter blue-green - makes these combinations visually diagnostic and particularly valued by systematic collectors focused on Tsumeb's oxidation zone mineralogy. While cerussite itself is abundant at Tsumeb, specimens preserving this specific three-mineral association in clearly observable form are scarce enough that they've become recognized as a distinctive Tsumeb type.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tsumeb Mine, Oshikoto Region, Namibia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51240477524256,"sku":null,"price":4200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/IMG_2463-5.jpg?v=1771131661"},{"product_id":"pyromorphite-6","title":"PYROMORPHITE","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eABOUT THE SPECIMEN\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis cluster of Daoping pyromorphite makes for an exemplary and eye-catching miniature. It highlights all of the best attributes that make specimens from the locality so desirable: bright, neon green color, intricate hoppered growth formations, and larger crystals reaching to 2.1 cm in length. It's not easy to find such a miniature, where so many quality crystals are bunched so tightly together without the matrix taking away from the view. It's certainly dynamic, and packs a visual punch for species and size class! As of writing this, the supply of pyromorphite from this area is exhausted, and in the not too distant future these will be Chinese classics on the level of mimetite from Pingtouling or realgar from Jiepaiyu. Ex Brian Kosnar.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eVIDEO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cvideo style=\"max-width: 800px; width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; margin: 0 auto; border: none;\" preload=\"metadata\" controlslist=\"nodownload\" controls=\"controls\" playsinline=\"\" loop=\"loop\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"autoplay\"\u003e\n  \u003csource type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/videos\/c\/o\/v\/cac29fa39cfe44f5921bab455645e8ea.mp4\"\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMORE INFO\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Daoping deposit is a hydrothermal Pb-Zn system hosted in Devonian Wuzhishan Formation limestone, sandstone, and shale intruded by granite and lamprophyre dykes in the karst terrain south of Guilin — a setting in which open cavity development within the carbonate host rock directly enabled the exceptional crystal growth documented here. Pyromorphite formed secondarily in the oxidized lead zone, with green coloration driven by interactions between lead, phosphate, and chloride ions in the hexagonal crystal structure rather than any discrete trace chromophore. Discoveries beginning in 1999, formally documented by Liu and Ottens in the \u003cem\u003eMineralogical Record\u003c\/em\u003e (2005), produced hexagonal prisms and barrel-shaped crystals reaching several centimeters — extraordinary for the species — in colors spanning pale yellow-green through saturated apple-green to dark forest-green, with occasional yellow-orange. The \"Apple Green Pocket\" of 2003–2004 yielded some of the most coveted cabinet-scale material, with translucent prisms to 2 cm on cerussite matrix and incipient hopper growth at terminations. Since the Daoping and Yangshuo mines connected underground in 2003, precise attribution of later material between the two operations is genuinely ambiguous. The finest early-find pieces have been absorbed steadily into permanent collections, and nothing from subsequent production has matched the 2003–2004 benchmark.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Daoping Mine, Guangxi A.R., China","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51485462921504,"sku":null,"price":3200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0749\/5263\/8752\/files\/PYRM8-1.jpg?v=1776227281"}],"url":"https:\/\/aetherfineminerals.com\/collections\/miniature-1.oembed?page=3","provider":"Aether Fine Minerals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}