At first glance this may appear to be nothing more than a broken chunk, but it fact it is complete and terminated (except for the very bottom where removed from matrix). It has wonderfully complex natural faces, probably due to a combination of growth interference, etching, and healing. The surface is mostly silky and lustrous. There are a few chips, lost in the complexity of this interesting tourmaline specimen. Although I try to avoid this over-used phrase, this specimen actually is better than the pictures suggest.

This specimen consists of pearly, somewhat parallel needles of tremolite. Manganese gives a pleasant lavender color. The variety is called hexagonite due to the hexagonal cross section of the crystals. (The actual crystal form is monoclinic, not hexagonal.) Hexagonite crystals rarely get much larger than this. A good representative example of this tremolite variety, which is only known from two New York counties.

A light purple fluorite crystal with lightly frosted faces. The specimen is mostly translucent but glows when strongly backlit as shown in the second photo, with a white light LED flashlight. The crystal is mostly complete; the back has a healed area as well as a cleaved area. An uncommon fluorite locality.

From the recent finds at the Javier Mine comes a specimen featuring purple coquimbite and other sulfate evaporate minerals. Individual coquimbite crystals reach about 7 mm. Many are terminated, with good luster and significant translucency. Alunogen is present in its characteristic white, crusty form. Clusters of sharply-crystalline krausite as well as golden-brown jarosite crystals (both to a few mm) are also noted.

This geode has an inner lining of colorless chalcedony. Upon this chalcedony lining are small quartz crystals (mostly transparent), and small calcite crystals (mostly lightly frosted and translucent). Sits perfectly for display without a stand. No damage.

A minty green fluorite crystal rises from a forest of quartz points. The fluorite is mostly translucent, slightly frosty, and 3.5 cm across. An adjacent ridge of small fluorites is also present. Many of the quartz crystals show some etching, probably from the fluoride-rich solution that deposited the fluorite. The tallest quartz rises to 2.5 cm above the matrix, has a good scepter termination (third picture). Some incomplete quartz crystals, plus natural corrosion (as mentioned above), but no damage that detracts. Displays as shown without need for a stand.

Tiny, brassy stilpnomelane crystals are scattered about on a pink orthoclase-rich matrix. Stilpnomelane is an uncommon phyllosilicate of formula (K, Ca, Na)(Fe²⁺, Mg, Al, Fe³⁺)₈(Si,Al)₁₂(O,OH)₃₆ · nH₂O. Its brassy brown appearance is characteristic at French Creek. The locality was once the premier US chalcopyrite locality, but became an apartment complex in 1989. A fine, rich example.

Here we have a complete, opened nodule with a rich carpet of sparkly green anapaite microcrystals in its core. The given dimensions are for the entire nodule. This specimen is very typical for this phosphate nodule locality.

A cleft in a gossan matrix hosts a jackstraw grouping of yellowish, elongated mimetite crystals with tapered terminations. The mimetites are translucent and silky and reach 8 mm in length. Some are doubly terminated. The specimen sits as shown without needing a stand. No damage.

From the classic Pennsylvania strontianite locality we have a cleft in matrix hosting tufts of translucent, off-white strontianite crystals. Individual tufts reach about 1.8 cm across. Exhibits nearly white fluorescence under both longwave and shortwave UV (second picture). Underneath the strontianite is a carpet of small, colorless calcite crystals. The specimen is very typical for the locality, but the cleft is a bit unusual. No damage.

A chunk of pegmatic matrix hosts numerous opaque, deep brown zircon crystals. These zircons have (for the most part) glassy faces, and the largest extends 1.8 cm out of the matrix. (Careful excavation might extent this somewhat.) The termination of the largest crystals (visible in the third photo) is nearly complete. Very typical for the locality.