Minerals from Different Locations

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The Tourmaline mineral group is chemically one of the most complicated groups of Silicate minerals.  Its composition varies widely with Sodium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Lithium, Aluminum, Boron and other elements.  It has a wide variety of colors including black, blue-black, brown, yellow, red, green, pink and is rarely colorless.  This mineral is found in igneous rocks, like Granite Pegmatite, and metamorphic rocks such as Schist and Marble.

Quartz is the second most common mineral in the Earth's continental crust.  It is mainly composed of Silica or Silica based minerals.  Although Quartz is known by a variety of names, the most important distinction between types of Quartz is that of macro-crystalline, individual crystals visible to the unaided eye, and micro-crystalline, where aggregates of crystals are only visible under high magnification.  There are many forms of Quartz including Chalcedony, Amethyst, Citrine, and Carnelian which are results of mineral impurities or heat treatments.

Tourmaline - Smokey Quartz

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Sphaerocobaltite, also known as Cobaltocalcite or Cobaltian-calcite, is a colorful and beautiful mineral.  The deep rose-red to pink color it has makes is easy to confuse with Rhodochrosite or Stichtite as all have the similar red to pink colors. Impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It is found as crusts and small crystals in many cobalt ore locations.

Cobaltocalcite

$30.00

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Click here to view more Amethyst specimens!

Amethyst is a purple variety of Quartz often used as an ornament.  Upon exposure to heat, Amethyst generally becomes yellow, which some refer to as Citrine or "burnt" Amethyst.  It occurs in color from a light, slightly pinkish violet to a deep grape purple.  It is widely distributed as a mineral.

Vera Cruz Amethyst

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Wulfenite is a lead molybdate mineral named for an Austrian mineralogist. It is most often found as stubby, pryamidal or tabular crystals in a bright orange-red to yellow-orange color. It is found in many locations, associated with lead ores as a secondary mineral and often found with Cerussite, Smithsonite, Hemimorphite, Vanadinite, Mimetite and other minerals. Among the more notable locations for finding Wulfenite are Pennsylvania, Arizona and Mexico.  

Mimetite is an Arsenic mineral often associated with Lead, Galena, Vanadinite, Wulfenite, Calcite and Arsenopyrite.  It resembles Pyromorphite as it falls in the same series of minerals as Pyromorphite and Vanadinite.  Mimetite is known as a collector's specimen often creating botryoidal crusts on the the surface of the specimen.  It is not used as a gemstone due to its softness.

Wulfenite Mimetite

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Tourmaline is one of the most chemically complicated of all Silicate minerals. It is a complex Silicate of Aluminum and Boron and the composition varies widely with Sodium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Lithium and many other elements that enter into it's structure. It can occur in a long, slender needle-like crystal to a thick prismatic and columnar crystal to a radial like daisy formation. It comes in many colors usually black and brown (iron rich); brown and yellow (magnesium rich); and blue, red, green, yellow, and pink (lithium rich). This mineral is found in igneous rocks, like Granite Pegmatite, and metamorphic rocks such as Schist and Marble.

Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate group of minerals containing potassium, sodium, calcium and aluminium silicatesminerals that make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust. They are the most common rock-forming minerals. Feldspars crystallize from magma as veins in both intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks and are also present in many types of metamorphic rock. Feldspars are also found in many types of sedimentary rock.

 Tourmaline Feldspars

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Smithsonite is a mineral ore of zinc, commonly confused with Hemimorphite until it was realized they are two distinct minerals. They are similar in appearance and are found in similar colors. Smithsonite often occurs in association with other minerals like Hemimorphite, Willemite, Cerussite, Malachite and Azurite. It was named in honor of James Smithson first identified the mineral and whose bequest established the Smithsonian Institution.

Smithsonite

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Pyrolusite is a mineral consisting essentially of manganese dioxide (MnO2) and is important as an ore of manganese. It is a black, amorphous appearing mineral, often with a granular, fibrous, or columnar structure, sometimes forming reniform crusts.

Pyrolusite

$50.00

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Quartz is the second most common mineral in the Earth's continental crust.  It is mainly composed of Silica or Silica based minerals.  Although Quartz is known by a variety of names, the most important distinction between types of Quartz is that of macro-crystalline, individual crystals visible to the unaided eye, and micro-crystalline, where aggregates of crystals are only visible under high magnification.  There are many forms of Quartz including Chalcedony, Amethyst, Citrine, and Carnelian which are results of mineral impurities or heat treatments.

Geodes are geological rock formations which occur in sedimentary and certain volcanic rocks.  They are essentially rock cavities or vugs with internal Crystal formations or concentric banding.  The exterior is generally Limestone while the interior contains Quartz Crystals and/or Chalcedony deposits.  If the Geode is completely filled with Crystal, being solid all the way through, it is then called a nodule.

Keokuk Quartz Geode

M608c  Here is something really different for you mineral collection!!  This is a very nice, above average quality Pyrite Tree.  It measures 4"  x  1 1/8" mounted on a plastic base 7/8" square and has a natural appearance. They date in age to 350 million years old.

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Pyrite, or Iron Pyrite, is an Iron sulfide with isometric Crystals that usually appear as cubes.  It is brittle and can break or powder easily.  Its metallic luster and brass yellow hue have earned it the nickname of "fool's gold" due to many miners mistaken it for the real thing.  Ironically, small quantities of actual gold are sometimes found in Pyrite.  It is the most common of the sulfide minerals and is usually found with other sulfides or oxides in Quartz veins, sedimentary or metamorphic rocks. 

Pyrite Tree

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Aquamarine (from Latin: aqua marina, "water of the sea") is a blue or cyan variety of beryl. It occurs at most localities which yield ordinary beryl. Beryl is a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium cyclosilicate. The pale blue color of aquamarine is attributed to Fe2+ (or iron). The Fe3+ ions produce golden-yellow color, and when both Fe2+ and Fe3+ are present, the color is a darker blue as in maxixe. In the United States, aquamarines can be found in the Sawatch Range in central Colorado and in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming.

Aquamarine

M610c  Here is a gorgeous specimen of Vanadinite on matrix.  It measures 3 1/8" x 2 1/2" x 2 1/8" and has many sparkly Red and burnt Orange colored hexagonal Vanadinite crystals all over the matrix.  This is a beautiful work of nature and very fragile. This mineral is from Morocco.

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Vanadinite is a mineral belonging to the Apatite group of Phosphate minerals.  It is one of the main industrial Ores of the metal Vanadium and a minor source of Lead.  Vanadinite is relatively uncommon and is associated with Galena, Wulfenite, Limonite and Barite.  It is usually bright red or orange-red in color although it may sometimes be brown, red-brown, grey, yellow or colorless.

Vanadinite

M611c  This is a very nice, above average quality Smokey Quartz specimen.  Under close inspection, this very cool crystal has lots of rutiles and phantom lines inside that photographs don't do justice.  It measures 4 3/4" long x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" and has a pretty sparkly appearance.  This Smokey Quartz crystal is all natural and has not been heat treated but does have minor tip damage.  This material is from Arkansas.

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Quartz is the second most common mineral in the Earth's continental crust.  It is mainly composed of Silica or Silica based minerals.  Although Quartz is known by a variety of names, the most important distinction between types of Quartz is that of macro-crystalline, individual crystals visible to the unaided eye, and micro-crystalline, where aggregates of crystals are only visible under high magnification.  There are many forms of Quartz including Chalcedony, Amethyst, Citrine, and Carnelian which are results of mineral impurities or heat treatments.

Smokey Quartz

M612b   This is a nice natural native copper specimen from Pennsylvania which has been partly removed from the matrix rock which was surrounding it.  The white quartz matrix rock is visible in many areas.  It measures 4 3/8" x nearly 2 1/8" x almost 1 1/4" and has a natural texture and finish.  Just a nice specimen of something different!

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Copper is a reddish colored metal with a high electrical and thermal conductivity.  It has its characteristic color because it reflects red and orange light and absorbs other frequencies in the visible spectrum due to its band structure.  It is in the same family as Silver and Gold and is a malleable metal.  It is beautiful natural or polished. 

Copper

M613b  Here is a gorgeous specimen of Vanadinite on matrix.  It measures 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" and has many bright Red and burnt Orange colored hexagonal Vanadinite crystals of all sizes.  This is a beautiful work of nature and is absolutely stunning. This mineral is from Morocco.

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Vanadinite is a mineral belonging to the Apatite group of Phosphate minerals.  It is one of the main industrial Ores of the metal Vanadium and a minor source of Lead.  Vanadinite is relatively uncommon and is associated with Galena, Wulfenite, Limonite and Barite.  It is usually bright red or orange-red in color although it may sometimes be brown, red-brown, grey, yellow or colorless.

Vanadinite

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Malachite is a Copper Carbonate mineral that often forms botryoidal, fibrous or stalagmitic masses.  It is often the result of the weathering of Copper Ores and is commonly found with Azurite, Goethite and Calcite.  It is typically associated with Copper deposits including Limestone which is the source of the Carbonate.  Malachite is found in many regions world wide and is usually shaded green in color.

Malachite

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Fluorite, also referred to as fluor-spar, is a mineral composed of Calcium Fluoride.  It is a widely occurring mineral found world wide and is often found with metallic minerals such as Galena, Sphalerite, Barite, Quartz and Calcite.  Fluorite may fluoresce strongly in ultraviolet light which may be due to the presence of some impurities such as Yttrium.  Blue is the most common color but red, purple, green, yellow and white are also frequent.  It can be used in high performance telescopes, camera lens, enamels and in the making of opalescent glass.

 Fluorite

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Pyrite, or Iron Pyrite, is an Iron sulfide with isometric Crystals that usually appear as cubes.  It is brittle and can break or powder easily.  Its metallic luster and brass yellow hue have earned it the nickname of "fool's gold" due to many miners mistaken it for the real thing.  Ironically, small quantities of actual gold are sometimes found in Pyrite.  It is the most common of the sulfide minerals and is usually found with other sulfides or oxides in Quartz veins, sedimentary or metamorphic rocks. 

Galena is the natural mineral form of Lead Sulfide.  It is the most important Lead ore mineral and is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals.  It is often associated with Sphalerite, Calcite and Fluorite.  Galena deposits often contain significant amounts of Silver, Zinc, Cadmium, Antimony Arsenic and Bismuth.  It is used as a semiconductor in early wireless communication systems.  It is usually dark grey to black in color with a shiny iridescence.

 Pyrite-Quartz-Galena

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Stilbite is another Silicate mineral from the Zeolite family.  It is often characterized by its sheaf like aggregates.  The color is usually white or pink and when the cleavage is perfect, will have a distinct pearly luster.

 Stilbite

M619c  This is an amazing new item at the Rock Shed. This is a Limonite after Pyrite Pseudomorph from Gachala, Columbia. This beautiful large specimen shows the classic cross style of twinning from Columbia. It measures 3 5/8" x 3 3/4" x 3 1/2" and weighs a whopping nearly 4 1/4 pounds. It has several areas where it's Limonite edges have chipped off throughout time exposing a little bit of it's Pyrite center. Truly a collector's piece!

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Limonite after Pyrite is formed when Pyrite begins to decompose through chemical weathering and the iron present in the mineral starts to rust. Limonite is any impure hydrated iron oxide. Limonite is mostly clay but also may contain phosphates and silica. Once the rust has started, Limonite slowly starts to form. Limonite does not have one specific shape or crystal structure. Limonite pseudomorphs (takes the external shape) of other minerals such as Pyrite. Most Limonite has a brownish red color and leaves varying streak of color as the composition of Limonite could be made up of a different amount of phosphates or silica.

Limonite

M620c  Here is something really different for you mineral collection!!  This is a very nice, very pretty lab grown Aluminum specimen.  It measures 5 3/4" x 4 1/4" x almost 4 1/4" tall and has a natural shiny appearance on all sides.  This unique and gorgeous specimen has numerous lovely shiny silvery crystals protruding up from the base in all different directions.  Some of the crystals are loose to the touch but are attached and this is reflected in our price.  A wonderful and unique specimen for your mineral collection!

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Aluminum is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic, ductile and malleable metal with appearance ranging from silvery to dull gray. It is the third most abundant element (after oxygen and silicon), and the most abundant metal, in the Earth's crust. It makes up about 8% by mass of the crust but is so chemically reactive that native specimens are rare and limited to extreme reducing environments. Instead, it is found combined in over 270 different minerals. The chief ore of aluminum is bauxite.

Aluminum

$40.00

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Danburite, is a relatively new gemstone discovered in 1839 in Danbury, Connecticut. The original deposit is now buried under the city of Danbury. With a hardness of 7, danburite is quite hard and suitable for any kind of jewelry. Because of its high refractive index, well cut danburites are remarkably bright and can look something like diamonds. Today, most of colorless danburite comes from Mexico. It makes an especially brilliant gem because of its extreme clarity.

Danburite