The Denver Show 2009 Mineral Rooms!
* Re-Updated July 2nd, 2010 *

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-101 NEW!

EXCEPTIONAL PLATE OF CLASSIC RHODOCHROSITE!
The above specimen is a Climax Mine Rhodochrosite on Quartz point matrix!
Anyone who knows Rhodos knows just how incredibly difficult it is to find a good Climax
Rhodochrosite. Occasionally I see incomplete rhombs without matrix or even rarer - a partial or
coated rhomb on matrix. But the holy grail for Rhodo collectors is a good sized plate of Quartz
crystals with large, complete, deeply colored (and uncoated) rhombs and it took me over twelve
years to find a specimen that met every one of those qualities. Quite frankly, I haven't seen
or owned a better specimen from the Climax Mine! This specimen is so good that it could
be confused for a Sweet Home or even Pasto Bueno Rhodo but it is 100% Climax which
makes it so much rarer and all the more special. It's also in excellent condition with only
a scattering of incomplete Quartz points to speak of and they definately don't detract!
Atop some of the points is a slight coating of Calcite which leads to the gorgeous rhombs
of Rhodochrosite which are complete and glow a translucent cherry-red. They measure
4.6 cm, 2.6 cm, and several of 1 cm in size! I count at least a dozen rhombs of various sizes!
From the Ceresco Ridge Area of the Climax Mine, Fremont Pass, Lake County, Colorado.
Measures 8.9 cm by 11.3 cm in total size.
Ex. Gerstley Mineral Collection
Currently in the Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled stand
Price $95,000

Photo by Joe Budd

Click on the image above for a much larger photograph!

MIN#Denver2009-103 NEW!

EXCEPTIONAL! Fine wires of Native Gold sitting atop Quartz crystals!
This is one of the most impressive Nevada Wire Golds to come to the market in years. The wires
are firm, not flimsy, and measure from 1 to nearly 4 cms in size! The matrix is covered with small
crystals of transparent Quartz points, many of which are clustered in small mounds. Specimens
of wire Gold from the Olinghouse Mine appeared about six years ago and this piece was cherry-
picked and held back in a private collection. I purchased it directly from the original owner.
From the Olinghouse District, Washoe County, Nevada.
Measures 7.8 cm by 10.2 cm in size.
Ex. Scott Kleine Mineral Collection
Price $8500

MIN#Denver2009-104 NEW!

Superb specimen of large Pyromorphite crystals!
Very impressive specimen featuring lustrous crystals which rise as high as 3 cm above
the matrix! The slightly greenish but mostly yellow crystal faces are sharp and glassy.
All are terminated and I only see a couple of small crystals missing on the backside.
From the Jersey Vein, 9 Level, Bunker Hill Mine, Kellogg, Shoshone County, Idaho.
Measures 3.5 cm by 4.8 cm in size.
Ex. Mine Owner's Collection
Price $2850

MIN#Denver2009-105 NEW!

Large and very distinct crystals of bronze Pyrrhotite with golden Chalcopyrite!
Also with some Calcite crystals, this impressive combination piece boasts a 5.2 cm
Pyrrhotite crystal at top to go along with a 4.2 cm Chalcopyrite in the center! Actually,
the Chalcopyrite is complete surrounded by thick Pyrrhotite crystals on all sides!
From the Nikolaevskiy Mine, Nikolaevskoe Pb-Zn-Ag deposit, Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia.
Measures 7.4 cm by 9.5 cm by 6.5 cm in size.
Ex. Pilipenko, Star van Schriver, Edward David Mineral Collections
Price $4500

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-106 NEW!

Stunning combination of Amazonite crystals with Smoky Quartz and Albite!
One of the finest Amazonite-Smoky combos I've seen in a long time. Not only is the specimen
large in size, the color of the Amazonite crystals is every bit as deep as those from the Tree Root
find. The crystals of both minerals are large and well formed and the overall arrangement has to be
one of the most aesthetic I've seen in years. This large plate has the balance and artistic qualities
that all collectors look for in the finest of specimens. There are the usual repairs and restoration
common to Amazonite-Smoky but they are so expertly done that they are virtually invisible.
Considering the pocket conditions in which these specimens are found, it's always amazing
to me just how beautifully they're put back together. Even the Smoky points on this specimen
are complete and terminated with only the most minor of bumps here and these along the edges.
From Sentinel Rock, El Paso County, Colorado.
Measures 8.6 cm by 12.8 cm by 8.5 cm in size.
Price $27,500

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-107 NEW!

Lustrous and quite rare Native Silver Wire rising up from a matrix vug!
I can tell you right now that I seldom see good matrix wire Silvers from China. This specimen
leaped out when I saw it in Tucson and I had the matrix trimmed even further to more centralize
the wire. The wire itself is pretty big, measuring just shy of 5.5 cm from base to tip! I love the way
it does an "S" curve bend as it pulls away from the Calcite and Acanthite coated vug and rises
upwards, well above the matrix. The wire is very lustrous with a golden patina and very attractive.
From Lingqiu County, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province of China.
Measures 7.8 cm by 5.7 cm in size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Comes complete with a custom made, labeled base
Price $7500

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-109 NEW!

EXCEPTIONAL CLASSIC!! Lustrous pyramidal crystal clusters of Acanthite with Native Silver wires!
An amazing combination featuring stacked Acanthite ps. after Argentite (Silver Sulfide) crystals with Native
Silver wires throughout! Obviously the Sulfur component was removed at some point during the development
of this specimen, allowing for the Native Silver growth. Specimens like this always amaze me. They are both
beautiful and extremely interesting in a geological as well as an historical sense. This specimen is a classic
rarity from a major Silver mining district which has faded into the past. Fortunately, great specimens survive
for all collectors to enjoy. I might point out that this specimen is very heavy and nearly solid Silver mineral!
From the Foster Mine, Glen Lake, Coleman Township, near Cobalt, Ontario, Canada.
Measures 8.4 cm by 7 cm by 7.8 cm in total size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled stand
Price $9500

MIN#Denver2009-110 NEW!

Pretty crystals of reddish-purple (iridescent) Sphalerite on Fluorite!
Classic old timer with no damage and sharp, lustrous crystals. It must be a piece of some
history because it comes with an old handwritten German label from the 1800's. If you
have any information on the origin of this collection label, please e-mail. Thanks!
From the Callington Mining District, Cornwall, England.
Measures 3.6 cm by 4.3 cm in size.
Price $485

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-112 NEW!

The "Copper Scorpion"!
Elongated crystals of Native Copper created this unique form that really does look like
a scorpion - tail, pinchers, and all! I purchased this specimen the second I saw it because the
animal resemblance was so obvious. The crystals are sharp with lustrous faces - a pretty
luster mixed with reddish-brown patina! They lay atop a matrix of rock and white Calcite.
From the Cliff Mine, Phoenix, Keweenaw County, Michigan.
Measures 5.8 cm by 6.8 cm in size.
Price $2500

MIN#Denver2009-113 NEW!

Beautiful cabinet plate of patterned bluish-green Smithsonite!
I love the look of this specimen! The color is a wonderful sea-green and the patterning in
the lower right corner really gives the specimen some character! There's also a very nice
variance from darker hues to lighter hues along the Smithsonite surfaces. The surface
is what a painter would call "eggshell" with a slight luster over a delicate texture. This
is easily one of the best large plates I've seen from the Kelly Mine in recent years.
From the Kelly Mine, Magdalena District, Socorro County, New Mexico.
Measures 12 cm by 15.3 cm in size.
Ex. Revelle Mineral Collection
Price $4500

MIN#Denver2009-114 Sold!

Glassy, doubly terminated Golden Calcite sitting atop colorless Calcite crystals!
A beautiful twinned crystal with no damage and gemmy portions near the outer tips!
From a locality near Big Sky, Gallatin County, Montana.
Measures 6.5 cm by 11.8 cm tip to tip!
Price $385

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-115 NEW!

Aesthetic combination featuring Epidote blades perched across Adularia crystals!
Stunningly beautiful with great form and sharp looking crystals, this is a wonderful
miniature sized specimen! The Epidotes are doubly terminated and the Adularia xls
are pristine with complete terminations as well. A green accenting of Chlorite coats
the front side faces which are quite glassy and pearl-like. One of the best I've seen!
From the Shigar Valley, Baltistan, Northern Areas of Pakistan.
Measures 5.8 cm by 3.8 cm in size.
Price $950

MIN#Denver2009-116 NEW!

Attractive cluster of doubly terminated Brazilianite crystals on Albite!
I count six complete gem crystals climbing upwards on the Albite! Beautiful with
better than average tranparency and lots of pizzazz for the price in my opinion!
From Linópolis, Divino das Laranjeiras, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Measures 8 cm by 3 cm in size.
Price $895

Photo by Joe Budd

MIN#Denver2009-117 NEW!

Perfect crystals of Andradite Garnet sitting atop Hedenbergite sprays!
Aesthetic miniature with great form and presentation. No damage to speak of and
the larger reddish-brown Garnets are accented by smaller Garnets at the edges.
From Serifos Island, Kykládes Prefecture, Aegean Islands Department, Greece.
Measures 3.5 cm by 2.8 cm in size.
Ex. Martin Zinn Mineral Collection
Price $850

MIN#Denver2009-118 NEW!

Fine, isolated crystal of green Fluorite atop Quartz covered matrix!
I don't see many specimens from the Felix Mine anymore and I love the way
the largest Fluorite sits atop the matrix. The crystal is translucent and complete!
From the Felix Mine, Azusa, Los Angeles County, California.
Measures 5.1 cm by 5.2 cm in size.
Price $350

MIN#Denver2009-119 Sold!

NEW and VERY RARE!!! Gemmy Golden Topaz perched alongside a Quartz cluster!
This is the finest Topaz on Quartz in existance from this obscure locality! A small find of Golden
Topaz crystals were found last year during a trip to Argentina and the few specimens that were brought
back appeared at the Tucson Show. The trip and discovery are written about in The Mineralogical Record,
Jan-Feb 2009, Volume 40, Issue Number 1. Most of the find consisted of jaggedly etched gem Topaz
crystals that were loose in the pocket. Only two or three specimens featured the Topaz on Quartz matrix
and this is the finest of those. There is no better matrix specimen from this locality anywhere - one of
the few times I can actually make that claim. I was attracted to this specimen because I prefer Topaz
on matrix and I loved the aesthetic display. The fact that all three Quartz points were terminated and
the golden Topaz had a smooth glassy termination instead of the jagged etched terminations that were
common to this find wasn't lost on me either. The Topaz is super gemmy with an internal glow that is
captured in the photograph above. While the top termination is smooth, the bottom termination (yes,
the Topaz is doubly terminated!) is etched and slightly jagged like the other crystals in the pocket.
I believe it is this feature that causes the light to bounce around and reflect inside the crystal, giving
it the golden glow. The Quartz crystals are also gemmy with a very light and attractive misting on
the exterior faces, probably the result of a slight etching. The Topaz measures 3 cm by 3.4 cm.
From El Chalten, Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia, Argentina.
Measures 8 cm by 7.8 cm by 7.7 cm in size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Price $7500

MIN#Denver2009-120 NEW!

Cute specimen featuring lustrous Galenas with purple Fluorite cubes!
From Cave-in-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois.
Measures 4 cm by 4.8 cm in size.
Price $285

FOR ADDITIONAL NEW SPECIMENS, GO TO Denver 2009 Room 7 !

Rhodochrosite Room | Gold Room | Silver Room | Beryl Room | Elmwood Room | Exceptional Minerals