Topaz

TopazA classic example of the famous Murzinka Topazes from the Urals in Russia. This locality is one of the most historic granitic pegmatites in the world, producing some iconic old world specimens most notably of Beryl and Topaz. Good gem Topaz crystals from this locality are few and far between. This attractive large thumbnail toenail specimen is a wonderful example from Murzinka showing classic textbook orthorhombic form along with very sharp, defined,

it is remarkably difficult to obtain such well crystallized

antimony sulfosalt Franckeite consisting of somewhat "sword"-shaped crystals oriented into spherical aggregates

Specimen # AMBER51703

the Siglo XX mine is the only locality for Vauxite in the world

and specimen value is second

medium rich blue-green colored crystals of Amazonite with slight "white cap" terminations

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the piece is the fact that one side has near full coverage of Rhodochrosite

Here we have a gorgeous display piece featuring a predominant and highly unusual “archway” or “horseshoe”-shaped group of sparkling brilliant golden color Pyrite pyritohedra which are associated with additional Pyrites and sitting amongst remarkably sharp AND lustrous crystals of jet black Sphalerite with notably SMOOTH faces – hardly any striations at all on many faces – are gently intermixed with soft beige-cream colored compressed rhombohedra or “discs” of Siderite

Specimen# CO712B70

I have no idea when this crystal was mined

This piece is from a find in July of 2007 at the type locality for the species which was originally discovered along the Contacto and San Jose veins in this mine and first described by Sam Gordon and Mark Bandy

and this is a complete "floater"