Back to the Fifth Page, or the First Page...
This exceptional
arsenopyrite hand specimen came from some Chinese dealers at a show
that passed through Dayton, Ohio. The crystals on it are quite
well-formed and appear to have the symmetrical, pseudo-orthorhombic
form that this mineral sometimes takes on. These crystals appear to be
odd, though, in the fact that the two largest ones seem to be
"stretched" across 2 of their axes. They are accompanied by several
intergrown muscovite books.
Another local purchase, I
got this piece at a show in Columbus, Ohio- not only that, but it comes
from the Clay Center, Ohio locality, wherein many fossils and minerals
were found in a Silurian Reef formation 300+ feet underground.
It consists of a single 2" (5 cm)-long orthorhombic celestite blade
that is in excellent condition and is surprisingly sharp! As one can
see in the image, it is colorless, transparent, and moderately clear,
containing some internal fractures and the odd inclusion or two.
I bought this piece
at the big show at Tucson in February of 1998, and I am thoroughly
pleased with it. It consists of several thick vanadinite tablets that
rest on a dull, black botryoidal goethite base. It has dimensions of
about 1.3 x 1.0 x 0.7" (3.3 x 2.5 x 1.8 cm). The vanadinites are in
excellent condition- only 2 show any damage- and have exceptional form
and the classic deep red-orange color and adamantine luster. The
goethite base shows considerable damage on one side, but its form is
also very good where intact.
Go to the Next Page...