Extraordinary Copper Minerals from Milpillas, Mexico

Posted on May 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

by Eric Greene

Outstanding azurite crystals and malachite pseudomorphs from the Milpillas copper mine, 30 km NW of Cananea, in Cuitaca, Mun. de Santa Cruz, Sonora, Mexico, began appearing on the mineral market in 2006. At their best, the specimens from this new classic locale are right up there with the best crystals from Bisbee and Morenci, Arizona or Tsumeb, Namibia. Three different minerals from this mine have captivated the mineral market: electric blue azurites; velvety, dark green malachite pseudomorphs (replacements) after azurite; and brilliant green brochantite in long, slender, acicular crystals.

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Posted in Azurite, Malachite

New Fluorite Finds from the Rogerley Mine

Posted on April 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

by Eric Greene

Blue-green fluorite specimens from the highly acclaimed Rogerley Mine in Westgate, Weardale, England are widely considered to be the world’s finest. Extremely fine specimens in near-perfect condition from this famous location are considered important additions to any collection.

Fluorite is one of the world’s most popular minerals, and it comes in a veritable bouquet of brilliant colors. The range of common colors for fluorite start with the hallmark color purple, then blue, green, yellow, colorless, brown, pink, black and reddish orange, making it easy to see why fluorite has earned its reputation as “The Most Colorful Mineral in the World”. Of course, fluorite is also well known and prized for its glassy luster, sharp crystals, interesting twinning, and variety of interesting crystal habits, from cubic to octahedral.

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Posted in Fluorite, Mineral Mining Reports

Azurite Suns

Posted on April 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Recently Discovered Mineral Masterpieces from Australia
by Eric Greene

Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by the oxidation weathering of copper ore deposits. It is a favorite amongst mineral collectors because of its rich blue color and wide availability in a variety of forms and color variations, from sharp, lustrous brilliant dark blue crystals to thick, rich, colorful royal blue coatings on matrix.

Azurite suns are a unique form of azurite that have been found in only one place in the world: the Malbunka Copper Mine (formerly the Namatjira prospect) near Areyonga, beneath a hill in the desert in Northern Territory, Australia. Malbunka is the name of the Aboriginal clan that owns the land.

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Posted in Azurite

Heliodor from Tajikistan

Posted on April 25, 2012 | 2 Comments

Faked, or the Real Deal?
By Eric Greene

By now, you’ve probably seen some of the crystals of gem heliodor (the name used for golden yellow beryl) that come from the Zeylotoya Vada Mine, also called the Gelte Krustle Mine, near Rangul in southern Tajikistan. There have been many reports that the stuff is fake, that the mine doesn’t exist, etc., etc. I admit I had doubts about the authenticity of this material, too. But then in 2008 I met a man in Tucson who said he bought his supply directly from the man who owns and operates the mine, and he was able to give me plausible answers to my concerns about the rumors and accusations that have swirled about this controversial material since it first came to market. Below you can read what I learned, and the information I turned up which finally convinced me that this heliodor is the real deal.

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Posted in Beryl, Heliodor

The Honeydew Pocket

Posted on January 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

by Eric Greene


What a perfect day for collecting! It was early October – the sun was shining, the temperature was in the low 70′s, and the bugs had packed up and headed south for the season. Our day started with the long drive up from Western Massachusetts to Ossipee, NH, which is about halfway up the eastern side of the state. The fall foliage was at its peak, which unfortunately was none too glorious due to 6 weeks of heavy rain and the lack of a killing frost. We arrived in Ossipee at about 10:30 AM.

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Posted in Mineral Mining Reports, Smoky

The Crystal Tunnels of Diamond Ledge

Posted on January 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

by Eric Greene


For decades, New England mineral collectors have been drawn to Diamond Ledge in north central Connecticut in search of the excellent quality milky quartz crystal plates and clusters for which it is famous. Those who have worked the site with grit, determination, and back-breaking labor have regularly been rewarded with significant specimens. And, those lucky enough to find pockets have sometimes brought home several 5-gallon buckets filled with these highly aesthetic and desirable plates of large-size milky quartz crystals. This well-known, prolific locality is in Shenipsit State Forest, in West Stafford, Tolland Co., Connecticut. It is a wooded area, giving plenty of shade even on a hot summer day, and at the bottom of the steep slope where collectors dig for crystals is a stream with a waterfall and ample pools of water for rinsing mud off of specimens or taking a quick bath.

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Posted in Mineral Mining Reports

Iceland Spar: Did the Vikings Use It for Navigation?

Posted on January 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

by Eric Greene


Iceland spar is a clear, transparent, colorless crystallized variety of calcite (calcium carbonate, CaCO3). Large pieces are split along natural cleavage planes to form natural rhombs. Iceland spar is probably best known for exhibiting the optical property of double refraction – so, anything viewed through the crystal appears double. It has many uses, in everything from precision optical instruments to LCD screens, and was even used during WWII to make bombsights. The perfect, flawless, colorless Iceland spar that is used in optical instruments sells for more than $1000 per kg. Historically, the first, best quality, and most abundant source of this clear calcite was in Iceland, which is where it got its name. Recently, Iceland spar has been in the news because of new research that shows that this mineral was almost certainly used by the Vikings for navigation.

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Posted in Calcite