Beryl var. Goshenite #GSH0001 Golconda Mine, Governador Valadares Minas Gerais, Brazil 26.4 mm x 22.6 mm x 16.5 mm (83.35 cts) $120 SOLD
Description:	Completely colorless gem beryl is actually quite uncommon.  This mine produces some of the most well-formed goshenites known.  This crystal is a splendid example, doubly terminated with glassy pinacoids modified by steep secondary faces.  There is some natural fracturing, and a few schorl inclusions typical for the locale.  The crystal has super form and clarity, a great specimen for beryl collectors!

Zoisite var. Tanzanite #TNZ0002 Merelani Hills, Umba Valley, Arusha Region, Tanzania 14.1 x mm x 7.6 mm x 6.7 mm $165 SOLD
Description:	Any time I see a well-formed tanzanite thumbnail that shows trichroism, I am tempted to buy it.  This crystal, along with the other one in this update, show amazing pleochroism (both crystals are unheated).  This crystal is actually a compound crystal with lovely purple color in one axis, and blue on the perpendicular axis, and a cola-red color down the c-axis.  A really nice little crystal!

Beryl var. Aquamarine #AQU0006 Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil 53.8 mm x 14.2 mm x 11.7 mm (84.9 cts) $150 Order this Specimen
Description:	This aquamarine has wonderful form, nice color, and a gemmy tip with complex termination.  There is one repair at the center which is not too detracting, but of course keeps the price down.  This crystal is very showy, and I used to display it proudly in my cabinet with many other tall beryls.  It will fit perfectly into your cabinet as well!

Forsterite var. Peridot #PDT0001 St. Johns Island, Red Sea, Egypt 12.5 mm x 12.2 mm x 6.7 mm (8.6 cts) $250 SOLD
Description:	No, it's not a sour apple Jolly Rancher!  This is best example of Egyptian peridot that I have to offer.  It is a well terminated, striated, completely gemmy, practically internally flawless crystal with amazing apple green color.  It is very difficult to come across these rare Egyptian peridot crystals!  The locale does not produce anything more than a few millimeters in size nowadays, if you want to sail over to this deserted island in the Red Sea.  This crystal is in a whole different league from its Pakistani counterparts.  It may not be huge, but is a well-proportioned crystal that has respectable size for the locale.  How could anyone pass this one up?

Beryl var. Morganite #MRG0001 Kunar Province, Afghanistan 64.8 mm x 33.2 mm x 23.5 mm (481.6 cts) $285 Order this Specimen
Description:	Athough this crystal has been removed from its matrix, it is still very showy.  It has a lovely peachy-pink color, with significant gemmy portions, great luster, and complex tabular habit typical for morganite from this locale.  The back of the crystal is incomplete but it still displays very well.  There is still a little albite and some schorl attached.  This crystal looks great when mounted on an acrylic pedestal (that's how I used to display it).

Topaz var. Purple Imperial #TPZ0004 Rodrigo Silva, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil 17.4 mm x 10.3 mm x 8.5 mm (13.0 cts) $180 RESERVED Order this Specimen
Description:	This is a very attractive topaz indeed!  From a small isolated pocket, these purple crystals were a big hit and disappeared pretty fast from the market.  This one shows great prismatic form with lovely striated crystal faces.  The termination actually reveals that this crystal is a twin of two parallel crystals.  And just wonderful lilac purple color!

Zoisite var. Tanzanite #TNZ0001 Merelani Hills, Umba Valley, Arusha Region, Tanzania 14.0 mm x 7.2 mm x 7.7 mm $375 SOLD
Description:	Now this is a way cool tanzanite crystal!  It's around the same size of the one above, but has the most incredible gemminess and just intense, vibrant purple color, with amazing color change depending on the axis of rotation.  Also, this crystal has not been heat treated, and it is unusual to see such vibrant color in a natural crystal.  The crystal is actually a wedge shape, so it's a bit difficult to make out the brownish-red that we look for along the c-axis, but you can make it out in a few places depending on how you orient the crystal.  Just an awesome thumbnail, and I still am not sure why I am selling it.  I must be tired or something ... my judgement is impaired!

Jeremejevite #JRV0002 Mile Marker 72, Swakopmund, Erongo, Nambia 14.1 mm x 5.4 mm x 2.0 mm (1.6 cts) $85 SOLD
Description:	I chose this jeremejevite from a small parcel because of its unusual bladed form.  Like a tabular shape, not the typical thin prismatic form you will see from this find.  The color shows a faint bit of blue, but mostly colorless, with just amazing clarity.  Do you want a nice "jerry" for you collection?  I'll send it right now!  What's your address??

Grossular var. Tsavorite #TSV0001 Merelani Hills, Umba Valley, Arusha Region, Tanzania 29.7 mm x 22.9 mm x 27.3 mm (126.35 cts) $500 Order this Specimen
Description:	This is an old Cal Graeber crystal, one that I cherished and proudly displayed.  It has emerald green color that can catch your eye from across a room!  Basically, its a partial dodecahedral crystal that was removed from its matrix of a grayish graphite material.  The crystal is internally fractured but still shows a glassiness to it, like you can peer into the crystal a bit and truly appreciate its divine deep green color.  Not an easy one to photograph, and looks much better in person!

Topaz #TPZ0005 Little Three Mine, Ramona District San Diego Co., CA, USA 80.7 mm x 52.5 mm x 46.1 mm $465 SOLD
Description:	This is a HUMONGOUS blue topaz crystal and it's from California!  It is so heavy that I don't have a gem scale with the capacity to weigh it.  I might have to bring it over to the produce section at the supermarket and use the fruit scale?  But about this crystal, it actually is color zoned, and it the second picture from the left, you can see that the upper half is a faint blue, almost colorless, while the bottom half is a little bit darker (still light blue though).  There is a seam where a small part of the crystal is missing, and this may be a repair but I cannot be certain.  It doesn't take away from the fact this is really a locality piece, and for a Ramona topaz, it is the biggest one I have ever seen, with great blocky form and secondary crystal faces.  Minor amount of what appears to be albite on the front.  Just awesome!

Indicolite #IND0002 Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan 32.1 mm x 10.2 mm x 15.5 mm $295 Order this Specimen
Description:	Would you believe that the fellow who sold this to me thought it was an aquamarine?  Well, from his pics I thought it was too until I held it in my hands.  This is just a beautiful toenail specimen of indicolite, consisting of two doubly terminated crystals, one of which makes up the majority of the specimen.  Both crystals show one termination with three steeper faces, and one flatter termination that looks pinacoidal.  The smaller crystal is attached to the flatter end of the large crystal.  Just look at the color, it is even bluer and more intense in person!  The crystal could be cleaned even a little bit more if one desired to remove some residual clay.  But as it is, it's a killer!

Spinel (Star-of-David Twin) #SPI0001 Pein Pyit, Mogok, Sagaing District, Mandalay Division, Myanmar 16.6 mm x 12.5 mm x 4.4 mm (7.7 cts) $465 Order this Specimen
Description:	A magnificent example of this highly desired spinel habit!  This is not one of those little 5-mm stars, oh no!  This baby is over 16-mm across!  It's the largest star-of-David twin I have ever seen.  I am sure there are bigger ones, but if you find one, I expect it will have a large 4-figure price!  This crystal would also be a 4-figure specimen, but one point on the star is missing unfortunately.  But even with this minor damage, the star is easily discernable.  And how about the color and luster!  This is only extremely unique crystal, don't miss out!

Rubellite #RBL0001 Jonas Mine, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais, Brazil 26.7 mm x 23.8 mm x 15.5 mm (69.9 cts) $300 Order this Specimen
Description:	This mine has become famous for its provision of the finest rubellite tourmalines in the world.  Jonas mine tourmalines of this gemminess, color, and luster are becoming increasingly difficult to fine.  This crystal has a blocky form, not your typical prismatic crystal, showing striated prism faces and a termination that has a mirror finish.  The color is such a deep raspberry red that you must backlight the crystal to appreciate the intensity and saturation of the rich deep red hue.  This one was also tough to photograph because while it has so many unique features.  I love it, and you will to!

Jeremejevite #JRV0001 Mile Marker 72, Swakopmund, Erongo, Namibia 16.7 mm x 3.1 mm x 1.7 mm (0.85 cts) $75 SOLD
Description:	Another really neat jeremejevite specimen, this one consists of two parallel terminated crystals that are joined together like Siamese twins.  There is a distinct color shift from a sky blue as the bottom toward a colorless tip.  A very nice, unusual crystal for a good value.

Brazilianite #BRZ0001 Telirio, Linopolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil 29.5 mm x 23.3 mm x 13.7 mm (65.15 gn) $125 Order this Specimen
Description:	This brazilianite crystal displays a textbook crystal habit, looking very much like a euclase crystal with its rhomboid cross section and bladed complex termination.  The color is a pleasing golden-greenish hue, with glassy faces all around.  Although not as rare as the old timer Corrego Frio brazilianites, the "brazzies" from this locale set a new standard for size and form.  A very lovely crystal!

Beryl var. Emerald #EMR0003 Chivor Mine, Almeida, Colombia 12.1 mm x 8.8 mm x 8.5 mm $195 SOLD
Description:	This thumbnail consists of a mounted crystal cluster formerly in the F. Marshall collection.  I was captivated by its complexity and bought it without thinking twice.  Being from Chivor, it has the typical deep forest green with a hint of blue.  There are two crystals that stand out at the back of the specimen, and the crystals in front sort of lean on each other in different directions, again reminiscent of the North Pole residence of a certain superhero who also had a "thing" for crystals!  The pics pretty much tell the story.  Also there are minor pyrite inclusions visible with a loupe, typical of Chivor mine emeralds.  It looks great as it is, mounted and labeled on an acrylic base.

Beryl var. Aquamarine #AQU0007 Pedra Azul, Minas Gerais, Southeast Region, Brazil 25.4 mm x 21.0 mm x 11.5 mm (37.4 cts) $350 Order this Specimen
Description:	I have nicknamed this crystal "Chippie's Little Brother" (inside joke), and I like to think I have saved one of the best crystals in this update for last.  Pedra Azul has produced some of the finest, most saturated blue aquamarines in the western hemisphere.  My photos of this crystal are pathetic in my opinion, because the crystal just looks so much more amazing in person (OK, I am being a little hard on myself!).  The color is amazing, the etched surface patterns are amazing, the gemminess and flawlessness are just mind boggling.  This is a competition thumbnail!  I am 100% sure of that!

Back to Latest Updates Page!