FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Conor Quinlan]

Hello Everyone!

Being stuck at home I have been acquiring specimens like crazy so I decided to create a post showcasing my most Recent, Best, Mineral Discoveries!

I created this post with the intent for others to share their experience as well, so please feel free to share your favorite, most recent, mineral find(s).

My List Includes (3) different minerals:

1. Cobaltoan Smithsonite and Cerussite (Tsumeb, Namibia)
2. Yellow Garnet (Vera Cruz, Mexico)
3. Grape & Olive Agate and Chalcedony (Indonesia)

1. Cobaltoan Smithsonite and Cerussite --> Definitely the premier specimen of this group and probably also most of my collection! The color is as good as it gets as well as the clarity! Crystals are very sharp and in perfect condition. The cerussite crystal is complex and very interesting despite being somewhat damaged. All perfectly displayed atop a dark crystalline matrix.

2. Yellow Garnet --> A fantastic find as I haven't seen a lot of solid yellow colored garnets which such great clarity and structure! An orthorhombic structure is perfectly represented by the garnets in the specimen!

3. Grape and olive agate with chalcedony --> Another amazing addition, this specimen exhibits beautifully and looks more like a modern work of art than a natural crystal! The inclusion of both Grape & Olive colored Agate is rare and well displayed. Crystals are exhibited on a very thin plate of Chalcedony embedded Matrix.

[Tobi]

Hi Conor,

I'm not a fan of the "grape agates" from Indonesia - but that Tsumeb smithsonite, wow!!! Great specimen, congratulations!

I already posted my finds of the month: https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=71525#71525 ;-)

Stay safe & best regards
Tobi

[Chris Rayburn]

I did some physical distancing in the eastern Utah desert last week and collected this celestine cluster in red jasper, with associated calcite. 8 cm x 15 cm; the celestine cluster is 4 cm x 5 cm.

[Bob Harman]

Chris, Nice find.

For everyone's info, there is an article on these celestine and calcite geodes in Rocks and Minerals vol 90 #4 ( (July - August 2015) by Daniel Kile et al.
The very last posting in the Utah section of "a mineralogical trip thru the states of the USA" on this website, shows another example. BOB

[James Catmur]

[James Catmur]

I also found a few old-time specimens that have BMNH labels with them or Arthur Russell labels, and I had forgotten them too! If you want to see more drawers let me know

[Conor Quinlan]

Thank you! I feel very lucky indeed to have acquired such a rare specimen.
Tobi, do you mind elaborating as to why you're not a fan of the agates from that region?

In general I'm typically not much of a fan of grape agates but the reason I chose to add this one to my collection is not because of the quality, but the form and color which I found to be fairly unique. I may be wrong because I don't look for grape agate often, but I must say when viewed in person I think the appearance of this piece is rather impressive; plus it also cost next to nothing to obtain which didn't hurt. The pic also doesn't do the specimen much justice which is too bad.

[Conor Quinlan]

Very neat Spain based Fluorite Specimens! Fluorite is a personal all time favorite, Thanks for sharing

[Conor Quinlan]

I will continue to update this thread with my favorite newest mineral acquisitions!

Early this week I discovered the most significant addition I would add to my collection for the year! Topaz has always been my favorite gem stone & while I have added several lovely champagne colored topaz over the years, it is the blue colored stones that I have been searching for carefully.

I would say this newest addition to my collection is probably now the most valuable & rare specimen I possess!

The blue topaz is completely pristine with absolutely no damage & is exhibited on a very well formed & transparent matrix made of albite var cleavalendite blades. This matrix itself is a big part of what drew me to this piece as it's extremely rare to find blue topaz on such a fine matrix base.

The crystals themselves are perfect & many are doubly terminated as well as include interesting inclusions. The crystals are very large reaching up to 3 cm in length!

[Conor Quinlan]

Another unique addition to my showcase collection that was discovered this week!

This fantastic cassiterite pseudomorph a/f orthoclase exhibits very sharp carlsbad twinned crystals in perfect condition! The specimen is a completely solid cassiterite pseudomorph & is quite heavy for it's small size!

This is one of the rarely seen specimens that was originally found c.1828 in the famous Wheal Coates Mine, UK.

Although this specimen may seem relatively dull, it's historical value, at nearly 200 yrs old, & extreme rarity makes it a thing of beauty!

[Bob Harman]

Well that is an interesting specimen, but with a specimen like that, the original label may be more important than the specimen itself. Please post a photo of the original label.
Without an original label, the specimen itself, to me, is diminished.......... Bob

[Tobi]

[Tobi]

[Bob Morgan]

Being interested in odd crystals, I was delighted to run across this quartz with the oddest termination. Instead of rhombohedral 'r' and ';z' pyramidal faces, there are three large heavily striated faces making the termination. They appear to be bipyramidal 's' faces.
This is really strange maybe even unique! I examined it to see if it had been cut into that pattern. The striations are definitely natural.

Another crystal had a couple of similarly striated 's' faces in a Dauphene twin relationship.

I bought them in 2004 from a dealer in the back corner of a trailer behind one of the motels on I-10 in Tucson, and haven't seen him again.

He said it was from Tamil Nadu in southern India, the Karum Mine, but there is nothing similar to it pictured on mindat.

I had completely forgotten about them and delighted in their rediscovery.

[Conor Quinlan]

Unfortunately it doesn’t have it, obviously that would prove it’s authenticity but this comes from the well known mineral dealers & auctioneers Jasun & Mandy McAvoy. I am fairly confident of its association with the original find if they state it’s from that local.
However, I do agree that the piece would show off so much better w/ a 1828 label. I will follow up with the McAvoy’s about any potential proof