The holy grails of mineralogy...

Hello Peter!

Yes, I mean CaCO₃, -3m, called calcite. I know, betting is that I will own one of this specimen from Malmberget in my collection. But dreaming is allowed!

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2012 11:26PM by Martin Rich.

Ralph:

Uwe is correct. It's calcite with pyrite (or chalcopyrite?) from China. Some of these specimens have crystals angled such that they look like the hood ornament of a Mercedes, thus it being called Mercedes calcite in Germany. They started hitting the market in the late 90's I think. The first time I saw such a specimen was on Rob Lavinsky's site and I spent years looking for one I could afford...or just another period, until I found an admittedly lower quality one (the one on my Mindat page) at the Ventura Gem and Mineral show. I've yet to see another rivaling the quality of the one in the photo I posted in this thread though.

One must always dream and follow ones dreams Martin.... if I had not dreamed mankind may not ever have seen those incredible calcites. The quality was way beyond my wildest fantasy!!!! of quality in calcite.

For most minerals we can dream to find better ones..... for instance some 5-10 cm razor sharp gemmy deep blue (not black looking) anatase crystals on a plate of albite with a few on the scattered 10-20 cm dauphine quarty crystals and why not a couple of jap twins

Peter

Due to the fact that I am a beryllium-containing mineral collector my "must have`s" are:

1.) Emerald - Habach valley
2.) Aquamarine - Scheelite Deposite /Felben valley
3.) Milarite - Bärensteig gorge/Habach valley
4.) Euclase -Rauris
5.) Aquamarine - Romatenspitze/Gastein valley ( I have seen specimens with deep blue, gemmy xls up to 5cm!)
6.) Bavenite - Eibenstein/Lower Austria
7.) Phenakite - Habach valley
8.) 'Gadolinite' - Municipial quarry/Gastein valley
9.) Bertrandite - Schafkopf/Hollersbach valley
10.) Chrysoberyl - Miesling valley/Lower Austria

My international "must haves" are:

1.) Emerald var. Trapiche Emerald ON Matrix- Muzo
2.) Hydroxylherderite - Maine
3.) Beryl var. Aquamarine - Sawtooth Mtns./USA
4.) Euclase - Zimbabwe (the old specimens with great deep blue xls)
5.) Magensiotaaffeite - Tansania
6.) Bromellite - Lupikko mine/Pitkjeranta/Russia
7.) Behoite - MSH
8.) Leucophanite - MSH
9.) Eudidymite - Malawi
10. Bazzite - Baveno



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 07:43PM by Martin Slama.

The Russell Collection in the Nat Hist Museum London

Some very interesting "favorites" lists.

I have three things on my special wish list that I'd dearly love to get:

1) the perfect Rotherhope Fell fluorite specimen of my dreams. I've seen a couple that would do, particularly something like this one in the back room of the Smithsonian.
2) a fine Urals heliodor on matrix. There was one in one of the collectors' cases in Munich some year's back that blew me away.
3) A large, perfect, super glassy Boltsburn fluorite.

Steve -- I'll share it with you, esp if I can have first pick of the Rotherhope Fell pieces!

Steve, I'd be happy with just this deep-blue fluorite from Callington, Cornwall (Russell Collection) !

Martin:
I'm with you on the Be minerals! I would love a TN-size gem quality prismatic crystal of bromellite (like the lonely one discovered in Sri Lanka). I'd save it from those dastardly cutters.

Ken, I am with you. It is a sin to cut a Bromellite! I would like to see and obtain such a large Bromellite but I am sure even someone would sell it, I can`t afford it.
Martin

That's why it's a grail.

I collect both gem minerals and elements and saw my holy grail..... a native bismuth and a nice Beryl var: Aquamarine in an Australian Museum...I I am thinking it might have been Museum Victoria, but I need to consult my picture files on that ...I just stood there gobsmacked...and wishing it was in my collection. How unusual was that, to see a museum quality Native element with a museum quality Aqua all in one piece ???

Here is my Holy grail list (dream rocks), I do not like the expression "must have" which is way too commercial and unrealistic for things so uncommon! Simply some lists of dream rocks (to have half them in 40 years would be great! ). Two lists here: the minerals in my field of collecting I want, and the minerals out of my field that I would be happy to have in my hands at least for a few monthes to enjoy them.

-in my field: (Cu, Zn and Pb secondaries)
1) A perfect Tsumeb azurite 10 cm long with luster and a good terminaison
2) A 4cm+ gemmy red cloud wulfenite crystal from the Ed Over findings, with the best luster and color
3) A cabinet liroconite speciment with one or several pristine crystals showing typical faces well and of great color, going over 1 cm.
4) A green Bad Ems Pyromorphite, large miniature or cabinet, with pristine green prismatic crystals of 2 cm
5) A good gem pocket mimetite with large completely gem crystals standing on the matrix
6) An excellent Tiger Leadhillite, of the best blue color, with good crystals, in large miniature or cabinet size
7) A long Legrandite crystal with sharp terminaison and luster, why not on matrix and with great color ( a 5 cm crystal without matrix? no problem!)
8) Some needles of buttgenbackite in cuprite from Likasi, in perfect shape, with large sprays, and why not with a bit of silver?
9) A large miniature or cabinet speciment of 1 cm+ crystals of deep gemmy orange crystals of stolzite from Broken Hill
10) An Australian atacamite, with large crystals with luster and good terminaisons

-out of my collecting field:
1) An elegant Kongsberg silver with matrix and tick wires
2) A large blue cap tourmaline on matrix
3) A sturdy and well sharply crystallized californian gold with luster, on matrix, cabinet
4) A large gem Brazilian aqua
5) An excellent colorless Russian fluorite with waterclear and large perfect crystals
6) Terminated prismatic becquerellite crystals on matrix, large enough to be easily appreciated with naked eyes, with great luster
7) good and large sperrylite crystals on matrix
8) an excellent and large carrollite on matrix, without a single nick, with maximum luster
9) A tick and large terminated Japonese stibine
10) A large phosphophillite twin of the best color and gemminess on matrix

Well, the list is way too short tough...

Martin,

You would like the chrysoberyl from Walkley Hill, Haddam, CT, found I believe in 1810 and the first place the mineral was found in situ. Also, since I am a Be fan also, some specimens were associated with beryl as an added attraction.

Tony Albini

Tony,
are you sure in Walkley Hill Chrysoberyl really occours? At the mindat site Chrysoberyl is canceled.
Martin

Martin, on Mindat, chrysoberyl has been removed from the Gillette quarry list. Mindat calls the Walkley Hill Road site the "chrysoberyl locality". If you read the text, it clearly mentions the material being found on this road in 1810, the first in situ discovery of the mineral.

I have one specimen associated with beryl in my collection.

Tony Albini

No more Holy Grails???

Well, as a matter of fact, there are, Peter
For me the grail rests in the localities I keep on visiting, again and again, year after year. The same ones, over and over.
All that just because I sometimes dream about specimens that just have to be there, however nobody has ever found them there.
And sometimes I find specimens that live up to the definition of my holy grail for a locality, but instantly becomes an outdated concept and gets replaced by a new grail........
So, I resume my visits, again and again, year after year.