Alexander Ringel's Photo Gallery
P0Y-JEAElbaite (Var: Copper-bearing Elbaite) Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) , Elbaite Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Field of View: 6.4 cm
This is a collection of crystal fragments and fragments of Cuprian Elbaite (2 bottom rows) and Elbaite (top row) in LED light.
The 4 specimens on the bottom row show strong color change (reverse alexandrite effect, see other photo too). These are specimens of the variety Laurellite. The two on the bottom right are crystal pieces showing prism faces without end terminations. Until now Laurellite has been known only from Mozambique.
T5G-82MChalcedony (Var: Agate) SiO2
Dimensions: 69 mm x 48 mm x 62 mm
This is an Agate from Aouli. This specimen shows a very strong and sharp parallax effect. The dark flame like grey shadows are this effect. When you move the agate, these flames move like the glowing stripe on cat eye stones. Actually this agate shows tree distinctive moving optical effects.
First two are the parallax effect itself. The shadow consists of two distinct lines. One moves when you move the stone. It is the darkness between the layers of the agate. The other moves with the source of light and is not as dark as the first one. It is actual shadow.
The third effect is a barely but still visible iris effect. When you look at the bottom section under the center you can see a yellowish to bluish hue. The white part of the agate is actually pure white. The blue and yellowish hues are moving together with the parallax effects.
4UQ-EVWChalcopyrite CuFeS2 , Chromite Fe2+Cr3+2O4 , Pyrrhotite Fe1-xS
Dimensions: 105 mm x 60 mm x 100 mm
Weight: 1000 g
This is a typical piece of actual "platinum ore" from this famous location. As you can see, you can't see any platinum minerals at all. Even with my microscope is was not able to identify other metallic minerals than pyrrotite and chalcopyrite. Some purple spots are present but most probably tarnished chalcopyrite. The actual platinum minerals are usually very small grains between certain chromite rich layers (chromitite) and as inclusions and inpurities of sulfides in the merensky reef. The reef itself is a certain group of platinum rich layers in a cooled magma chamber.
Platinum "ore" like this contains just a few grams platinum metals per 1000 Kilogram. That means, that this piece contains maybe a few milligrams of platinum metals. Most probably even less, since the best ores are usually processed into metals. Despite the fact, that these ores have a high value for some collectors, these are rarely seen outside of the mines and people tend to pay ridiculous amounts of money for samples. Many people don't know how few platinum is actually in such "ore".
This picture shows a polished side in reflected light to identify the metallic sulfides. The white lines are not sulfides. The purple side under the pentlandite is sulfidic. Maybe its chalcopyrite, maybe not. I don't know.
This piece consists of two parts of the actual merensky reef. The coarse crystalline part at the bottom of this picture is a platinum rich pegmatoid (actually this specimen contains few sulfides and so this pegmatoid is not that rich at all!). Above this pegmatoid in the coarse part is an about 1 cm thick layer of chromitite. This chromite rich rock contains more platinum. Above is a orthopyroxenite of smaller grains, which actually does not contain much platinum.
R29-D5XIsoferroplatinum Pt3Fe
Dimensions: 5 mm x 5 mm x 5 mm
Largest Crystal Size: 5 mm
Weight: 2.1 g
A typical specimen of Isoferroplatinum from the Kondor deposit consistint of two twinned crystals. It has a thin layer of an gold alloy on the surface, which seems to have been deposited on the crystal after it has been rounded by alluvial transport. The gold has some inpurities, which made it much brighter and a little bit more reddish than pure gold. Its probably a gold copper alloy. See the last two pictures for a comparison with a piece of real native gold.
The slightly flattened crystal is quite exactly 5 x 5 mm along the side edges and 4 - 5 mm high. The density is close to the theoretical density, what means that this specimen doesn't contain much non metallic inclusions.
F00-T0CCorundum (Var: Sapphire) Al2O3
Largest Crystal Size: 35 mm
Weight: 30 g
This is a large sapphire bomb. Sapphire bomb is the term for sapphires which cannot be cut at all. Its a bit transparent but not gemmy at all. The colors can bee seen ony barely on this photo. The real stone has the typical blue and greenish yellow of australian sapphires.
The exact locality are the Willows gemfields.
63N-0JHCorundum (Var: Sapphire) Al2O3
Field of View: 250 mm
Largest Crystal Size: 13 mm
Weight: 440 g
This large amount of small stones comes from an unknown Australian location. Their combined weight is about 440 gram. You can explore these stones in the zoomable photos of these stones at the bottom.
These sapphires have been industrially mined and probably not been searched at all. Average stone size is 4-6 mm. Largest is the gemmy one with about 13 x 6 x 6 mm. These sapphires show lot of different hues of green, blue, yellow and grey to colorless. Many show different kinds of rutile or silk inclusions of different density and color (grey, bluish, brownish). Lots of these are probably star sapphires.
Some of these show a fluorescence under the 445 nm laser. Mostly a deep red or a clearly different orange. One of the strong red fluorecing stones shows also a color shift from bluish grey to reddish grey.
Some zircons (reddish, brownish, all zircons have the same hue of color), black spinels and a garnet (almost black red) are also in this lot. Even 3 or 4 small opals are in there. But its questionable how these light minerals came into this lot of pure heavy minerals. I've put two of these opals close to the big bomb. They show actually a nice color play and have crude and not broken surface.
I keep this lot as it is because it is a beautiful insight in the diversity of australian sapphires. After photographing i have put all these stones from the unknown location back into the two bottles in which i bought them. No stone of these will be separated or cut.
RRL-ERQNatrolite Na2Al2Si3O10·2H2O
Dimensions: 130 mm x 13 mm x 13 mm
This Natrolite is not only quite big, it is also crystal clear. Only two minor "feathers" up to 1 cm under the brown stained area interrupt the absolute internal clarity. Despite the dull weathered surface, this seems to be one of the finest natrolites.
JDJ-1GYCalcite CaCO3
Dimensions: 21 cm x 15 cm x 3 cm
This is a nice piece of calcite forming the so-called Verde d'Arno (a variety of ruin marble). This kind of ruin marble or pietra paesina is well known for it's straight lines and geometric forms.
Specimen is 21 x 15 x 3+ centimeters and has a curved polished surface. The cutter was a real artist. He did an awesome work on this awesome specimen!
K42-70QElbaite (Var: Copper-bearing Elbaite) Na(Li1.5Al1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)
Dimensions: 65 mm x 60 mm x 40 mm
Field of View: 30 mm
Weight: 300 g
This specimen is an uncommon piece from this locality. It has been found during the prospection of this mine. The cuprian green is a bit weak but it is a massive 300 gram specimen consisting only of paraiba Tourmaline with many small pockets outside and inside, which are full of tiny but BEAUTIFUL crystals with dark blue caps. The caps are royal blue from top and purple from the side. This stone is completely untreated.
On this picture you can see a flat area full of small crystals. Note the cobalt blue caps (these are actually mainly colored by manganese!). The black parts are manganese oxides, which cover large portions of this stone.
Note also the other photos of this specimen.
45C-2XEChalcedony (Var: Carnelian) SiO2
Dimensions: 80 mm x 60 mm x 40 mm
Weight: 272 g
This is a nice hand polished reddish-brown carnelian. It shows nice black areas and small beautiful cornflakes on some areas. In sunlight the cornflakes show a beautiful orange reflection. Specimens like this are quite common for this locality. They look mostly more beautiful in person, than on the photos.
