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WI3434 - Inesite - $1250 (SOLD)
Wessels Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
ex. Ludi von Bezing Collection
ILLUSTRATED IN MINERALOGICAL RECORD, "Update on the Kalahari Manganese Fields," 1991, page 287.
Cabinet, 10 x 5 x 4 cm
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This is one of the very best inesites to come out of the mine! It features grapelike clusters of inesite to over 1 cm in clusters; and is nearly complete all around. Now, a lot of people don't realize how much more rare this material is from this mine, than from the other locality at NChwaning. These crystals are not naturally lustrous - they have to be wet or oiled, or sprayed with shellac to have the color you see here (i just dipped it in water briefly to achieve this. After drying, it goes paler and loses some color. Nevertheless, this is just "who they come" and you have to accept it for the species or give it the coating to enhance viewing otherwise. Many are thus treated, simply not disclosed as such). This one is au naturale, though, which i personally prefer! It is prominently featured in an important article by the noted collector Ludi von Bezing about a decade ago: "Update on the Kalahari Manganese Fields," 1991. It is NOT from the Israel collection, but the timing worked so i tucked it in here.




WI3434 - Topaz - $375
Klein Spitzkoppe, Namibia
Large Miniature, 5 x 4 x 3 cm
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A sharp and VERY gemmy crystal with pale icy blue color to it. As far as form goes, it is of excellent size and quality for the locality! Its only detraction is a large conchoidal break or contact on the back side, which is not visible in any way from teh display face on front. Weight is about 100 grams. GEMMIER IN PERSON!




4145 - Braunite II with Andradite Garnet - $295
N'Chwaning Mine, Kuruman, South Africa
Miniature, 4.9 x 3.1 x 1.5 cm
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Splendent black braunite crystals up to 1cm in length are complimented by reddish-orange andradite garnet in this matrx specimen.This contrast in color,shape and luster makes for a nice combo piece. The crystallography of braunite as you see here is unique from this mine (hence the designation BRUANITE II). This is a rich specimen but also that rare thing, a showy display piece for the species, because of the contrasting association!




4340 - Inesite, Apophyllite and Natrolite on Datolite- $245 (SOLD)
Wessels Mine, Kuruman South Africa
Miniature, 4.1 x 3.3 x 3.1 cm
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Talk about a combo specimen!.This choice cluster especially shows off inesite in pink, diverging, acicular, crystal groups and two, gemmy, colorless tablets of apophyllite.




3411 - Xonotlite - $85
Black Rock Mine, Kuruman, South Africa
Small Cabinet, 8.1 x 7.0 x 4.0 cm
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Beautiful spheres and radiating clusters of acicular white xonotlite are displayed over a matrix of massive manganese ore. Some damage but also many good areas of this fibrous and fragile species and so overall it is a rich and nice reference piece!




3355 - Calcite on Kutnahorite - $150
Wessels Mine, Kalahari, South Africa
Miniature, 4.6 x 3.6 x 2.3 cm
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This is an interesting combo of two carbonate minerals. Clear,glassy calcites are perched on fibrous,pink kutnahorite. Very unusual and really attractive! (less ppink in person than it appears, though)




3792 - Cerussite- $125
Kombat Mine, Namibia
Large Miniature, 5.1 x 2.5 x 2.3 cm
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You don’t often find such nicely developed crystals of this habit of Cerussite, and this has very good clarity and color, as well. The tip is just BARELY dinged, but that is barely noticeable compared to the overall excellent form of the crystal.




3361- Calcite- $95
Gloria Mine, near Kuruman, South Africa
Small Cabinet , 7.1 x 6.9 x 2.5 cm
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Very nice UNUSUAL specimen comprised of small translucent blades growing in masses, almost rosettes. The translucency gibes the calcite a lovely gray color, and there is an attractive dusting of what seems like a sulfide to add a little more shimmer to the specimen.




K16 Descloizite - $295
Berg Aukas Mine, Grootfontein, Namibia
Miniature, 5 x 4 x 3 cm
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A superb miniature with excellent spear-point crystals of descloizite from what is unarguably the best locality for the species. This piece has excellent lustre and some very showy iridescent color at the terminations of some crysatls! It is, in my opinion, just a tremendous miniature for a species which is usually dismissed as dull, earthy, and ugly out of hand. Well, not this piece!


2915 - Calcite (floater )- $395
N'Chwaning Mine, Kuruman, South Africa
SMALL CABINET, 9.2 x 9.1 x 2.6 cm
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This is a plate of intergrown Calcite crystals that have a nice tan color and excellent luster. The form is really sculptural and interesting, besides which it is a floater - complete all around! . This is quite an attractive piece for any collector, and the superb luster really highlights the beauty.




1418 - Descloizite- $495
Berg Aukas Mine, Grootfontein, Namibia
SMALL CABINET, 6.0 x 5.0 x 3.9 cm
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This is one of the finest specimens of Descloizite I have seen. The crystal development is absolutely superb, and the luster ranges from mirror-like to velvety. Some of the crystals are 1 cm thick, and the overall arrangement like a christmas tree is really striking. The cluster IS complete all around which is really a nice bonus! Such dramatic crystal development and fine luster make this a killer for the species. Now, i know most folks usually consider these to be boring but this one is decidedly worthy of being in ANY collection.




3564 - Descloizite- $80
Berg Aukas Mine, Grootfontein, Namibia
SMALL CABINET, 7.1 x 5.2 x 2.9 cm
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Well developed and highly lustrous small crystals just sparkle over the entire specimen. The crystals are so good that you can actually see light transmitted through the edges, giving nice views of the brown color. You don’t see that very often in this mineral, and it adds even more to the attractiveness of the piece.




2844- Ettringite- $850
N'Chwaning Mine, near Kuruman, South Africa
Miniature, 5.3 x 3.7 x 3.3 cm
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Huge (4 cm!) doubly-terminated crystal of glassy Ettringite, accented with several smaller crystals of equal quality. And it is all on a small plate of matrix! Although there is minor edge wear, it does not detract from the quality or importance of this specimen.




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