Sand calcites occur when calcite crystals include sand as they grow. This particular example, from the classic sand calcite locality, has the typical sandy surface texture and is undamaged. Look a bit like an overfed airplane.

A cluster of dark to coppery copper crystals, with very distinct crystals, including numerous spinel-law twins (such as the spine). Other spots are combinations of cubic and dodecahedral forms. No damage. The Itauz Mine has produced some of the mineralogical world's finest crystalline copper specimens, and this is a great little example.

A mostly transparent gypsum cleavage fragment, dark along the edges due to mixed sulfides. Included along the edges are a few deep ruby red proustite crystal fragments, which reach a few mm in length. Notable for the unusual association.

A sharp and translucent brown scheelite crystal sits on a bed of small, silvery muscovite crystals. Also present is a blocky, translucent white albite crystal. The scheelite is complete and 1.7 cm across at the largest point. The albite cluster is 4.2 cm along its largest dimension, complete on the front, but cleaved along the back. When the specimen is exposed to longwave UV light the albite exhibits a pinkish fluorescence, whereas under shortwave UV the scheelite glows blue-white. The muscovite is mushed in a few spots (as is typical for specimens from this locality) and the scheelite has a few tiny dings, but overall the specimen has no major damage.

Here we have a glassy, highly transparent kunzite crystal shard. The color is light when viewed as shown in the first three photos, but (as is common for kunzite) much more intense when viewed along the c-axis (fourth picture). This is not a complete crystal, although one of the two large faces and perhaps one of the edges is natural. There is also some etching, which is common with gem spodumene. Starting about two years ago, the Big Kahuna Zone of the Oceanview Mine has been yielding the best kunzite to come from southern California pegmatites since the 1950's.

A light blue, mostly translucent barite crystal group, with multiple terminations, giving the appearance of a skyscraper group. Each termination is intact, although overall there are a few chips and rough spots. The color and crystal form are very typical for the locality.

A matrix cleft is lined with small, colorless quartz crystals, Atop the quartz crystals is a layer of bright bubble gum pink rhodochrosite rhombohedra, which reach about 4 mm. Minor, massive, mixed sulfides (mostly pyrite) are scattered about. A good example from this classic American rhodochrosite locality.

A flay matrix plate hosts a ridge of jet black, lustrous ferberite crystals placed among a forest of mostly transparent quartz points. The ferberite blades reach 1 cm in length, and at least half have complete terminations. The longest quartz (last picture) is 2.8 cm and sports a sharp termination. With care this specimen might be trimmed to a thumbnail that emphasizes the sharp ferberite/quartz combo featured in the last picture. The November-December 2011 issue of Mineralogical Record features an excellent article on this productive locality.

A flat plate of deep green, opaque yet lustrous malachite with an alligator skin texture. No damage. A striking display with a stand.

A crystalline barite/quartz matrix hosts small but glittering, deep blue azurite crystal rosettes, and a patch of fuzzy, deep green malachite tufts. On top of this is a scattering of colorless, translucent cerussite crystals, some of which are twinned. Every face of this specimen is different. No damage.

A cluster of deep butterscotch-brown tabular wulfenite crystals accented with small sprays of somewhat darker brown vanadinites, backed with a bit of gossan matrix. Individual wulfenites reach 8 mm, generally have a good to glassy luster, and some are bruised. Despite this, displays well as shown in the photos without the need for a stand.