Peter Szarka's Photo Gallery

3HY-PAFSperrylite PtAs₂

Vermilion Mine, Denison Township, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Dimensions: 13 mm x 7 mm x 7 mm

13 x 7 x 7 mm

Huge for the species, this partial crystal shows a curious bevelling of the faces.

Self-collected in 1995 from the type locality.

XFT-QERFergusonite-(Y) YNbO₄

Madawaska Mine, Faraday Township, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada

Dimensions: 37 mm x 8 mm x 8 mm

37 x 8 x 8 mm

Extremely well defined crystal cluster of Fergusonite.

Self-collected in 1974.

73R-354Sperrylite PtAs₂

Vermilion Mine, Denison Township, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Specimen: 32 mm x 17 mm
Sperrylite: 25mm x 12mm

A close-up view of Sperrylite on matrix from the type locality.

Self-collected 1995.

GQP-EUWSperrylite PtAs₂

Vermilion Mine, Denison Township, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Sperrylite on matrix. From the type locality.

This specimen is unlike most other Sperrylite I've seen. Not only is it enormous for the species, but it is also a flattened mass. Most Sperrylites from the Vermilion are cubic single crystals only a few mm in size.

Self-collected in 1995.

WAU-P5WAragonite CaCO₃

Uruguay

4.0 x 2.5 x 3.0

Lilac-beige intergrown pair of Aragonites. Unusual location for this species. This is one of two specimens that were offered on eBay in 2010 by a Uruguayan seller. Unfortunately, the location could not be pinned down to anything more exact than Western Uruguay.

2M9-JHVAragonite CaCO₃

Uruguay

2.5 x 2.5 cm

This is a companion photo to the other Uruguay Aragonite I posted showing an alternate view of this interesting little piece.

LX6-7XEAragonite CaCO₃

Uruguay

2.5 x 2.5 cm
A single lilac-beige Aragonite crystal from an unusual location. This was purchased in 2010 from a one-time source on eBay who has subsequently vanished. There were only 2 specimens for sale, this single and a 2-crystal specimen. Locality info was at best, western Uruguay.

14W-YGFBaryte BaSO₄ , Quartz SiO₂

China

Dimensions: 10 cm x 7.5 cm x 6 cm

10 x 7.5 x 6 cm.
Blue to yellow opaque clusters of baryte coating quartz crystals. The quartz, when viewed from the back where shows through, is so clear as to be nearly invisible. Originally mislabelled as mica, it was purchased in 1992 at a time when providing locality info from the Asian market was not recognized as an important attribute. Hence, the best location I can give is China.

P0L-1PNKyanite Al₂(SiO₄)O

Barra do Salinas District, Coronel Murta, Minas Gerais, Brazil

5 x 1.5 cm crystal on quartz matrix, doubly terminated with fine color and sheen.