Updated 3-14-2009
These rooms are devoted to some of the
finest specimens I've had the pleasure of owning and placing into collections
around the world. Only the specimens listed as Kevin Ward
collection are available for purchase. Enjoy the show!
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SUPERB!!! Museum quality, cherry-red
Rhodochrosite rhomb atop Quartz needle matrix!
This is the finest Rhodochrosite I have ever seen from Peru. That's right, it's from Peru,
not the Sweet Home Mine! This specimen rates in the top 10 of all Rhodochrosites found at
Pasto Bueno and boasts a pedigree with names like Belcher, Don Knowles, and Ed David.
The rhomb at top is perfection, measuring 4.5 cm tip to tip and nearly 3 cm front to back.
The color is deep cherry-red and glows under lighting. The matrix consists of tiny needle
Quartz and the entire specimen measures 8 cm by 8 cm in size. Specimens of this quality
from Peru don't come along very often as most are in private collections. This is a unique
opportunity for all Rhodochrosite or Peruvian mineral collectors. From the Pasto Bueno
District, Pallasca Province, Ancash Department, Peru. Circa late 1970's.
Ex. Belcher, Knowles, Ed David, Kevin Ward, Ferris Collections
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EXCEPTIONAL GEM HESSONITE!!
This is simply the finest Grossular var. Hessonite Garnet specimen I've ever seen or owned
from the Jeffrey Quarry! A specimen of this caliber is found so rarely that I purchase
them
the second I see them. Not only does this specimen have huge Hessonites (the largest is
nearly 2 cm in size!) but they are also incredibly gemmy and flashy with the deepest color
imaginable! The white background is perfect for bringing out the rich color and that's why
it's the best matrix one can find at the Jeffrey Quarry. The addition of the dark mineral
(small Muscovites?) adds even more contrast and draws the eye towards the white surface.
Great color with large, isolated gem crystals on a white matrix - This is truely a work of
art!
From the Jeffrey Quarry, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada.
Measures 7.5 cm by 7.5 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward, Ferris Collections
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EXCEPTIONAL!! Superbly crystallized
specimen of Native Silver with purple Fluorite!!
Not only are the Silver crystals incredibly sharp, the combination with Fluorite is VERY
RARE! I've seen dozens of Kongsberg Silver but I've never seen one with Fluorite.
Each Fluorite is transparent with a purple interior and while the bottom crystals were
flattened by the now removed matrix, the top crystals are complete with full glassy faces!
I can't imagine a more beautiful combination than cubic Silver crystals with purple
Fluorite.
From the Kongsberg Silver Mine, Kongsberg, Buskerud, Norway.
Measures 4.2 cm by 5 cm by 5.2 cm in size.
Ex. Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences Collection
Ex. Kevin Ward Silver Collection
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Perfect crystal of Golden Calcite atop
matrix!
This is one aesthetic Calcite specimen and the termination is flawless!
From the Pugh Quarry, near Custar, Wood County, Ohio.
Measures 7.4 cm by 7 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward Collection
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HEAVY semi-crystalline Gold Nugget!
With the price of Gold soaring, what could be more appropriate than a large Gold Nugget?
This is a very aesthetic nugget with lots of air and space near the center. This not only
makes the specimen more attractive than a solid, lumpy nugget, but it also allowed for
the growth of Gold crystals like the one just south of center in the above close-up photo.
The edges are larger, rounded crystals which nicely frame the more intricate center.
Gold nuggets are found out in the open field using a tractor to dig up the soil, followed
by
miners with metal detectors. No doubt this nugget gave one heck of a signal when
discovered.
From the fields near Wychitella, north of Wedderburn, Central
Victoria, Australia.
Measures 11 cm by 7.5 cm by 4.5 cm in size. Weighs 27.5 ounces or 855.25 grams of 23k
Gold.
Ex. Kevin Ward Personal Collection
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Tri-color Fluorite crystal perched atop
sparkling Siderite matrix!
I don't think I've ever seen a Fluorite with such distinct color separation. It doesn't
appear to
be zoned or phantomed, it's just simply composed of different colors - gold, white, and
lavender!
From Weardale, North Pennines, Co. Durham, England.
Measures 9.5 cm by 9 cm in size with a 4 cm Fluorite cube!
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WOW! Exceptional specimen of Boleite on
matrix!
This is one smoker of a Boleite crystal - perfect in form and measuring 1 cm in size from
corner
to corner. It sits perfectly atop the stabilized matrix with what appears to green
Atacamite.
From the Amelia Mine, Boléo, Baja California, Mexico.
Measures 3.5 cm by 4.4 cm in size.
Ex. Steve Smale, Evan Jones Mineral Collections
From the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
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Misty cubes of Fluorite with dark purple -
golden brown phantoming on matrix!
I love the look of this specimen and the cubes are unusually smooth and sharp for the
locality.
Each cube appears to be secondary growth over a much smaller dark purple Fluorite.
From the Dreamtime Mine, Teller County, Colorado.
Measures 6 cm by 8 cm in size.
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Awesome specimen featuring a large GREEN
Beryl with Muscovite and Albite!
I think the specimen is gorgeous! The green Beryl is glassy and gemmy with only the
slightest of etching on the side faces while the front and back main faces are glassy
smooth! A perfect crystal of Muscovite sits against the Beryl near top center and
is bordered by well formed crystals of Albite. The green Beryl itself measures 7 cm!
From Conselheiro Pena, Doce Valley, Minas Gerais, Southeast
Region of Brazil.
Measures 10.7 cm by 8.8 cm in size.
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EXCEPTIONAL!! Gorgeous combination of
Aquamarine with a large pink Apatite!
The Apatite crystal is complete and undamaged with one irregular face on the backside
which was influenced by small Aquamarine crystals growing atop the crystal face. The color
is
very good and the faces very lustrous and glassy. The Apatite itself measures 3.3 cm in
size!
Surrounding the Apatite at the base are gemmy Aquamarine crystals and a bit of Muscovite.
From Chumar Bakhoor, Hunza Valley, Gilgit District, Northern
Areas of Pakistan.
Measures 3.8 cm by 6.6 cm by 4.4 cm in total size.
Ex. Scott Wallace Collection
From the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
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World Class specimen of
terminated Amazonite crystals with Cleavelandite and terminated Smokys!!
This is the best small cab I've ever seen from the Tree Root Pocket in Teller County,
Colorado!
This specimen is formally of Irv Brown's competition display and widely considered one of
the best
specimens from the Tree Root Pocket. I've never found a specimen that can compare to it in
terms
of color, sharpness, and aesthetics. It's also completely UNDAMAGED and UNREPAIRED!
Measures 8.5 cm by 6 cm in size. Ex. Irv Brown
Competition Display.
From the Van Tichelen collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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EXCEPTIONAL!! Stunning specimen of
Benitoite on Natrolite with Neptunite!
I've seen hundreds of Benitoite specimens over the years and this one is head
and shoulders above all others in terms of aesthetics and sharpness of crystals!
The main crystal at top center measures 2 cm in size and is about as perfect a
triangle as you will ever find! The second, smaller crystal at left is also complete
and measures 1.7 cm in size. It lays horizontally across the matrix, front to back.
From the Dallas Gem Mine in San Benito County, California.
Measures 3.8 cm by 4.5 cm. ex. Irv Brown collection.
From the Herzog collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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RARE and INCREDIBLE!! The finest,
glassiest crystals of Linarite you will ever see!
The close-up clearly displays the intense color of these thin Linarite crystals! All the
crystals are nestled snug in a vug of Quartz crystals and breccia matrix. From the
Grand Reef Mine in Graham County, Arizona, this
specimen is a collector's dream
and an Arizona mineral collector's must have! Measures 8 cm by 7 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward, Ferris Collections
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"The Silver Swan"
Superb Classic!!! Cluster of
thick swirling wires of Silver on matrix from Aspen, Colorado!!
Circa late 1800's. Extremely rare and difficult to find locale for Silver. This beautiful
piece
is from the Midnight Mine in Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado. Measures 4.5 cm by 2.5 cm.
From the Kevin Ward collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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WOW! Amazing specimen featuring 3 Beryl var. Emeralds with a
Phenakite crystal!
This cabinet sized specimen is from the Malyshevo Mine, Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Russia.
Measures 12 cm by 10 cm by 6.5 cm in total size. This specimen is simply stunning!
From the A. Johnson collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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GORGEOUS!! Blushing pink and blue
AQUA-MORGANITE crystal on Albite with Muscovite!
From the Laghman Province, Afghanistan. The colors are quite distinct and the zone of
coloration
between pink and blue very well defined. Neither color overpowers or jumps out over the
other
on this unique specimen. Measures 8 cm by 10.5 cm in size. Pristine and super aesthetic!!
Ex. Kevin Ward Collection
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Gorgeous specimen of lustrous Rutile
crystals nestled between Orange Quartz points!
An incredibly aesthetic specimen from the Kapudzhukh Mountains in the Muxtar Respublikasi,
Azerbaijan. The color contrast between the shiny black Rutile crystals and the Hematite
colored
orange Quartz is exceptional! This is the best specimen I've seen from this locality and
probably
one of the most attractive from the find. Measures 10 cm by 12 cm in size with a custom
base!
From the Daniel collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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16 to 1 GOLD!!!
Rich, butter-yellow Gold in and atop stark white Quartz matrix!
I've looked for an unpolished, unslabbed specimen of matrix Gold from the 16 to 1 Mine
for many years and this year at Tucson I finally found one. The 16 to 1 Mine is world
famous
for its bright yellow Gold in very white Quartz matrix and the material mined there is
very
popular for cutting material and jewelry. Perhaps this is the reason why natural, matrix
specimens are so tough to track down. Whatever the case, this one is huge and very heavy,
measuring 9.5 cm by 5.8 cm by 6.5 cm in size. It's small cabinet!! I was told that it
contains over
19 ounces of Gold and judging from the weight in my hand, I can believe it. The 16 to 1
Mine is
located near Alleghany in Calaveras County, California and has been in operation for 100
years.
The close up at right shows the incredible richness and semi-crystalline Gold growth.
From the Shiffer collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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EXCEPTIONAL and RARE! Every now and then I
track down a specimen that seldomly
sees the light of day outside of a private collection. This is one of them! This is a
glassy, gemmy,
nearly Sweet Home Mine quality specimen of Rhodochrosite from the Emma Mine in Butte,
Montana!!
Without a doubt, the best I have ever seen from Butte. This specimen appears to be
composed of two
distinct growth layers. The first layer being of the typical opaque-pink Rhodochrosite
with Pyrite
accents which was then, at a later time, overgrown by gemmy, cherry-red rhombs of
Rhodochrosite!
If you are a Rhodochrosite collector or Butte suite collector, this is your dream
specimen.
Note: the white areas in the photograph are not on the specimen. They are literally
reflections off
the very glassy surface of this specimen. Measures 9.5 cm by 14 cm in size.
Ex. William Hiss, Kevin Ward Collections
From the Geiger collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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Incredible combination of
Powder-Blue Barite clusters on Golden Calcite!
Both minerals sit atop a matrix of Fluorite from the famous Minerva #1
fluorspar Mine in the Cave-in-Rock District of Hardin County, Illinois.
Specimens of this caliber and quality are almost unheard of and most only
reside in private collections. This lovely piece measures 10 cm by 12.5 cm
in size with 2 - 3 cm Barites! A classic specimen from a classic locality!
Formally of the S. Neely, Kevin Ward Collections
From the Gustafson Collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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Stunning specimen featuring doubly
terminated Aquamarine crystals in cluster with light green Fluorites!
The silvery-tan Muscovite blades frame the specimen perfectly and bring everything
together, making
for one of the most aesthetic specimens I've seen recently from Nagar in the Northern
Areas of Pakistan!
Measures 13 cm by 10 cm in size with 2.5 cm and 1.5 cm Fluorites!
From the Goings Collection. Photography by Kevin Ward
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CLASSIC GOLD!
From the bygone days of Nevada - A rich specimen of Native Gold in matrix!
This labeled specimen (close-up) is circa 1910 from the glory days of mining in Goldfield
and Tonopah. I don't know how many still exist but this is the first I've located from
Goldfield after many years of searching the shows. The old handwritten label is excellent!
For a good
read (and photos) of the region, visit this link!
From the Florence Mine, Goldfield District, Esmeralda County,
Nevada.
Measures 5.5 cm by 3.2 cm in size.
Ex. E. O. Stratton, Kevin Ward Collections
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EXCEPTIONAL! Amazing plate of phantomed
Amethyst crystals atop Microcline!
This specimen looks like a psychedelic Smoky-Amazonite. It's definately the sharpest
Brandberg plate I've ever seen and make no mistake, this piece is REALLY from Brandberg.
Most of the other specimens labeled as Brandberg come from a nearby locality and are not
actually from Brandberg which is a protected wildlife preserve. Rare and beautiful!
From Brandberg, Namibia, SW Africa.
Measures 8 cm by 11 cm by 9 cm in size.
Ex. Charlie Key, Kevin Ward Collections
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EXCEPTIONAL SILVER!
Dramatic specimen of Native Silver Wires on Acanthite coated matrix!
I purchased this one in Dallas and was thrilled with the aesthetics of the climbing wires.
I called it the "Silver Medusa" when I first saw it and I think that's a pretty
good description.
From Freiberg, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony,
Germany.
Measures 8 cm by 6.6 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward Collection
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EXCEPTIONAL!! Incredible specimen of
Polybasite, Chalcopyrite, Acanthite, and Quartz!
I was amazed when I saw this specimen! What you have here are Polybasite blades in
cluster which have been completely covered by golden Chalcopyrite crystals. Then, at
various
points atop the Chalcopyrite coating, you have a secondary growth of Acanthite crystals
(cubes) always seem to be surrounded by a ring of iridescence. All of this is happening
atop a
cluster of slightly amethystine Quartz. This is one of the wildest Silvers specimens I've
ever owned.
From San Juan de Rayas, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Measures 7.5 cm by 7.5 cm in total size.
Ex. Pellman, Kevin Ward Mineral Collections
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Museum quality plate of sharply
crystallized Native Copper!
This cabinet sized specimen has one of the most beautiful patinas I've ever
seen on a Copper specimen! Reddish-golden surfaces are accented by areas of
deeper brownish-red over an intense metallic luster. Dazzling and impressive!
From the Hancock Mine, Hancock, Houghton County, Michigan.
Measures 13.7 cm by 16.2 cm in size.
Ex. Edward David, Kevin Ward Collections
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Awesome combo of Beryl var. Aquamarine
with bi-color Fluorite on Muscovite and Albite!
I love these Aqua-Fluorite combos but it's so hard to find a good one with a complete
Fluorite crystal. This one is really nice and the Fluorite displays pretty pink with just
a light touch of green. The Aquamarines are perfectly terminated with glassy faces and
rehealed bottoms. I think the balance of this specimen is excellent as are the aesthetics.
From Nager, near Aliabad, Hunza Valley, Northern Pakistan.
Measures 9 cm by 10.5 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward Collection
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WORLD CLASS! Cabinet sized specimen of
Celestite crystals in cluster from Mexico!
Definately one of the finest plates in existance and possibly
the largest!
From the La Luz Mine, Villa de La Paz, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
Measures 11.5 cm by 18.3 cm in size.
Ex. Evan Jones, Kevin Ward Collections