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I have decided to sell some of my collection and offer individual specimens here. Please note, this is not just rubbish I do not know what to do with - these are choice specimens, I picked for myself. Please read the terms page for payment, shipping, etc. and if you wish to know why I part with some of my specimens.
Feel free to ask if need any additional information.

No. 13554.1. I particularly like this piece because of its distinct orangish colour; it is not as reddish or brown as most. This specimen has a couple of Smoky Quartz crystals thrown in for good contrast. This specimen is app. 8.5 cm x 4.5 cm. Note, the base has been sawn so the specimen sits nicely. EUR 136.00.

Native Arsenic from Jachymov (Joachimsthal), Ostrov, Krusne Hory (Erzgebirge), Böhmen, Czech Republic
Arsenic is a chemical element that has been feared since Antiquity due to its toxicity. Note that due to linguistic sloppiness, we apply the same term - arsenic - in English for the chemical element that by itself is practically harmless, and for the oxide (i.e. , arsenic oxide) much in vogue among crime authors to bump off rich aunts, scorned lovers, witnesses, and whoever else may be in the way. When we see Arsenic as specimens, it is usually massive black chunks or aggregates of globular masses, and it is quite characteristic to the trained eye. However, when freshly exposed in a mine, it is grey with a submetallic luster, and miners previously mistook it for valuable ore and sent it to the smelters, where it would burn to arsenic oxide, poisoning people, and obviously yielding no metal whatsoever. For this reason the globular variety that was very abundant in German silver mines, was called 'Scherbenkobald' by the miners, 'Scherben' for shards, 'Kobolden' were vicious gnomes, and 'Kobald' something the Kobolden had made. This is obviously provided for your information only, do not try this at home, etc. My web site is obviously only read by honourable people of good breed, so this is said in case somebody else snug in through the back door: Don't even think of buying my Arsenic and bump off your aunt. In spite of arsenic's popularity in novels, it is one of the least desirable murder weapons. It is easily traced by any crime technician, even in minute amounts, and the flavour is absolutely disgusting! Fatal dose of arsenic in aunties glass of port? Forget it! Take the word of somebody who tasted it: you can not cover the flavour of one fatal dose by all the curry consumed by the Indian army.
I acquired this specimen and literally hundreds of others in the mid to late 1980s from sources in Czechoslovakia (as it was called then). This was 'the good old days' with Communist suppression, plan economy, prohibitions, travel restrictions, currency control, etc... . where a young man, knowing his way around, found good deals on every street corner! Back then it was a real treat going to Praha (Prague) - superb beer, excellent minerals, fresh beer, delicious food, not to mention the beer!
The 'deal' evidently was that the collectors got a legal outlet for the specimens and extra income and the state got foreign currency. The 'trick' was evidently getting hold of the good material - the top-notch Moldavites, the superb silver sulfides, ... That took a little more dealing.
Seriously, I do not lament the fall of Communism and the democratic development of Eastern Europe. The good part of 'the good old days' does not necessarily justify or cancel out the bad parts.

No. 5986.1. This specimen is approximately 14 cm in maximum dimension and of a very unsual, rope-like habit. This is by far the larges piece I ever had of this material and it was supposedly only found by two Czech collectors in an old, abandoned adit, which later collapsed. EUR 285.00.

Amethyst xx (inverse scepter), Bombori, Bolivia
This is a very unusual Amethyst from Bombori (Watuma, Departamento de Potosi, Bolivia). This is place is not known for minerals but is home to a shrine, drawing many pilgrims - if you are a devout, South American Catholic, you may know of this place, if you are just a mineralogist, you likely haven't!
Supposedly boulders in a river (I am not a devout, South American Catholic, so I haven't actually been there) carry Amethyst druses. These Amethyst crystals are remarkable for being prismatic - we've seen that before, though it's unusual - and particularly for some forming 'inverse scepters'. Scepter crystals have a (relatively) thin rod and a thick 'head'; negative scepters have a (relatively) thick crystal and a small crystal at the termination. This is a very unusual habit for Amethyst. The colour is of intermediate saturation and the crystals have high lustre and are usually fairly transparent.

	No. 13496.1. Large druse with many slender crystals in app. 8.0 cm x 6.0 cm specimen. EUR 58.00.
No. 13496.2. Choice specimen with four Amethyst crystals in a cluster on a bed of greyish 'dog tooth' Calcite crystals on app. 4x3 cm specimen. EUR 26.00.

Barite xx, Teplice (Teplitz), Krusne Hory, NW Böhmen, Czech Republic
The Teplice Barite crystals are olive-green and have different luster on different faces - this is systematic; not like 'some are dull, some are shiny' but some forms are invariably lustrous, others invariably dull in all the crystals.
I acquired this specimen and literally hundreds of others in the mid to late 1980s from sources in Czechoslovakia (as it was called then). This was 'the good old days' with Communist suppression, plan economy, prohibitions, travel restrictions, currency control, etc. ... where a young man, knowing his way around, found good deals on every street corner! Back then it was a real treat going to Praha (Prague) - superb beer, excellent minerals, fresh beer, delicious food, not to mention the beer!
The 'deal' evidently was that the collectors got a legal outlet for the specimens and extra income and the state got foreign currency. The 'trick' was evidently getting hold of the good material - the top-notch Moldavites, the superb silver sulfides, ... That took a little more dealing.
Seriously, I do not lament the fall of Communism and the democratic development of Eastern Europe. The good part of 'the good old days' does not necessarily justify or cancel out the bad parts.

No. 6448.1. This is an excellent specimen from a very unusual locality. This specimen is app. 6.5 cm in maximum dimension. EUR 28.00.

Hematite var. Kidney Ore, Florence Mine, Egremont, Cumberland, England
This is a long lost friend, that suddenly showed up in a box! I am old enough to have seen Hematite var. kidney ore in the wild. Nowadays they are long gone, but used to be readily available from the iron mines in NE Cumberland. 'Kidney ore' forms coarse globules of Hematite, vaguely resembling kidneys.

No. 212.1. This is an app. 6.5 cm x 4.5 cm 19th Century specimen from Florence Mine (Egremont, Cumberland, England). EUR 85.00

Franckeite xx, Nivel 320, Mina San Jose, Oruro, Departamento de Oruro, Bolivia
Franckeite is a 'rare' mineral, it only occurs in few deposits and in small quantities, except ... two places in Bolivia, where it forms ore! No, they do not have a mountain full of it, but there is enough of it and other 'rare' tin sulfides to be part of the ore. That said, Franckeite is locally common, but anything with a hint of Franckeite crystals, is not.

No. 13362.1. This specimen is app. 7.5 cm in maximum dimension and is completely covered by platy Franckeite crystals. EUR 165.00

Betafite xx, Silver Crater Mine, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
I have always been thrilled by rare earth element (REE) minerals and minerals with uranium and/or thorium, They have interesting physical properties, concentrate elements we otherwise rarely see in minerals, and are difficult to identify. Many REE minerals are aesthetically challenged - they are massive, black and occur as integrown grains in rock! - but Betafite from Silver Crater came out real nice, forming well-shaped crystals. !
This is an excellent sample to demonstrate radioactivity, experiment with shielding and suitable for a collection. Note, this is not a toy, treat it carefully and with respect. Radioactivity makes some people nervous - shortly I will prepare more in-depth text on radioactive minerals; for the moment you may wish to refer to what I wrote under the heading 'Opinions'. I have a lot of letters after my name, have worked professionally with radioactivity and radiation-producing equipment, and have/have had license to do this in several countries. That gives me adequate background to feel comfortable with radioactive minerals, etc. but that does not mean you should treat my word as the ultimate truth. Even if it is, laws in your country may be different. I do not know of restrictions on owning natural mineral specimens with an appreciable content of uranium or thorium in any country - check your own country, laws may differ.

No. 1587.1. Choice TN of two intergrown crystals, mounted in Perky Box. The specimen is approximately 2.0 cm in maximum dimension. EUR 22.00

Native Mercury, Moschellandsberg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
A liquid mineral? Mercury is the only liquid substance that has ever been accepted as a mineral. It occurs in small quantities in many mercury mines, including the classic deposits in Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) in southern Germany.

Approximately 8 cm in maximum dimension matrix with minute globules of Mercury, chiefly in a 3x2 cm section though individual blebs occur throughout. EUR 18.00

Andorite xx, Mina Pailaviri, Cerro Rico de Potosi, Potosi, Departamento de Potosi, Bolivia

13367.1. Andorite is a lead silver antimony sulfide, that is not really too common, though a few deposits in Bolivia produced choice specimens. I picked up this piece in Cerro Rico de Potosi in 2003 as it was kind of pretty with tiny sulfide crystals. The Andorite is a bit tabular with striations on the crystal and generally with 'soft', rounded corners (no, it's not worn), grey or golden iridescent. Other minerals include Arsenopyrite (sharp, elongate, dull brassy), Pyrite (golden metallic), and Quartz. This specimen is app. 6.2 cm in maximum dimension with a prominent druse of sulfide crystals. EUR 34.00