Pre-Tucson 2008 Update

TR26K8: An aggregate of acicular crystals with excellent terminations. Extraordinary color and brilliance making a stunning contrast with the dark Limonite matrix. From the type locality for this species.
Mina Flor de Peña, Lampazos, Nuevo León  Mexico

Specimen size: 3.1 × 3 × 1.2 cm

TM87K8: Group of prismatic crystals with uncommon flat terminations. Good color and brilliance making a high contrast with the dark Limonite matrix. The specimen, from the type locality, has a different habit than the more common Mapimí Legrandites.
The specimen has been reviewed and published in the magazine ‘Lapis’ on page 41, volume 33, number 7-8, August 2008.
Mina Flor de Peña, Lampazos, Nuevo León  Mexico

Specimen size: 6 × 3.3 × 1.4 cm

Main crystal size: 0.8 × 0.3 cm

NR58K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense, very bright, iridescent metallic reflections, whose colors vary between red and yellow gold. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 3.5 × 2.5 × 2.2 cm

NJ58K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense iridescence, very bright, metallic reflections, whose dominant colors vary between red, blue and gold. These growths contrast with a later formed phase with smaller and very bright botryoidal growths. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 4.4 × 3.3 × 2.2 cm

NE60K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense iridescence, very bright, metallic reflections, whose dominant colors vary between red and gold. These growths contrast with a later and well-defined goethite formed phase with smaller and very bright red botryoidal growths. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 6.6 × 5.2 × 2.9 cm

NB60K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense, very bright, iridescent metallic reflections, whose dominant colors vary between gold and red. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 5.2 × 3.7 × 3.4 cm

NH60K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense, very bright, iridescent metallic reflections, whose colors vary between blue and red more pastel than is usual. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 7.3 × 3.7 × 3.1 cm

NB14K8: Stalactitic-botryoidal growth with intense iridescence, very bright, metallic reflections, whose dominant colors vary between red and gold. These growths contrast with a later and well-defined goethite formed phase with smaller and very bright, red botryoidal growths. The specimen is from a recent find in Tharsis. This locality hasn't produced significant samples in the last twenty years.
Mina Filón Sur, Tharsis, Huelva  Spain (05-10/2007)

Specimen size: 7.7 × 5.9 × 4.4 cm

EA88K8: Crystal with a very sharp tetrahedral habit, of well-defined faces and edges, uncommon with Sphalerite, and with flat faces without curvatures or striations. The color is quite good, so the crystal has an excellent contrast on the Quartz crystal martrix.
Dzhezkazgan  Kazakhstan

Specimen size: 8.7 × 7.5 × 5.4 cm

Main crystal size: 1.6 × 1.3 cm

EP48K8: Excellent couple of prismatic crystals in parallel growth with very different habits. While the bigger crystal forms a short and thick prism, the second one is more elongated and very flat. The black crystals contrast with the white Orthoclase matrix.
Mount Malosa, Zomba  Malawi (07/2007)

Specimen size: 7.3 × 3 × 2.8 cm

Main crystal size: 4.2 × 2.8 cm

MN69K8: A novelty from Munich 2007. Corundum crystal of sharp faces and edges, excellent terminations and good color. It shows different color shades depending of the type of light they receive, and has a marked zonation between red and blue-mauve. On the front crystal face you can see some curious concentric growth figures around a little triangular rhombohedron face. The matrix, very rich in Muscovite, also has abundant red growths of Pyrope (variety Rhodolite).
Zazafotsy Quarry, Ambahatraso, Ihosy, Fianarantsoa  Madagascar (10/2007)

Specimen size: 7.7 × 3.9 × 4.5 cm

Main crystal size: 1.6 × 1.5 cm

HA37K8: Group of well defined and excellent colored crystals with varied terminations. Some of them are completely flat, others with rhombohedral faces and another with dissolution forms or contacts. The color is very intense, typical from this famous and classic Rubellite locality.
Jonas Mine, Itatiaia, Conselheiro Pena, Minas Gerais  Brazil

Specimen size: 13.1 × 7.3 × 3 cm

EE16K8: Groups of Amethyst crystals, with an extraordinary color and brilliance, which have grown over Calcite crystals, thus preserving their scalenohedral habit, The Calcite crystals are now almost completely gone.
Santa Ana Mine, Artigas  Uruguay (02/2007)

Specimen size: 10.1 × 5.1 × 5 cm

EQ87K8: Very aesthetic and aerial (uncommon for the specimens of this locality) group of rhombohedral crystals of very well defined faces and edges. With a deep pinkish color.
Mina Manuelita, Morococha, Yauli, Junín  Peru (10/07/2007)

Specimen size: 11.3 × 8.5 × 2.8 cm

Main crystal size: 1.5 × 1.3 cm

EC64K8: Dipyramidal Scheelite crystal, of sharp faces and edges, intense brilliance and deep honey yellow color. On a Muscovite matrix and tabular Beryl crystals accompany it. This kind of specimen of especially high quality, as in this case, is increasingly scarce.
Shaobaodin Mountains, Pingwu, Sichuan  China (2004)

Specimen size: 13 × 8 × 5 cm

Main crystal size: 3.9 × 3.7 cm

HB49K8: Groups of laminated Gold crystals on matrix with small crystals and growths of gold telluride. Although these have not been analysed, due the origin and the similarities with other specimens from this locality, we believe that these are Coloradoite.
Golden Miles Mines, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia  Australia

Specimen size: 6.2 × 3 × 2.5 cm

RH47K8: Small but numerous groups of fibrous Cuprite crystals (Chalcotrichite), very bright and vivid red in color, on laminar growths of native Copper on matrix. The locality, a classic for Chalcotrichite (and for native Copper), makes this specimen even more interesting.
Ray Mine, Ray District, Pinal County, Arizona  USA (±1971)

Specimen size: 12.2 × 7.4 × 4 cm

RE77K8: Tabular crystals, very deep and brilliant black in color with a string of Muscovite crystals in the upper third. Classic for the species, a contact twin on {100} is readily seen by the offset which forms the "ledge" upon which the Muscovite crystals are attached.
Minas da Panasqueira, Level 2, Beira Baixa  Portugal (±1974)

Specimen size: 6.3 × 5.3 × 1.6 cm

RC26K8: Group of crystals with very sharp faces and edges, very brilliant and transparent, partially covered by Chlorite on Albite matrix. This well-known locality is very poorly represented in mineral collections, including the very old ones.
Piz Vallatscha, Lukmanier Pass, Grisons  Switzerland (±1922)

Specimen size: 4.7 × 4.1 × 1.5 cm

Main crystal size: 0.8 × 0.5 cm

RA17K8: Not well defined crystal group of Atacamite, but with impressive color and brilliance. Also impressive is the origin of this specimen: Elba Island. From this locality Atacamite has been described as a very uncommon mineral.
Isola d'Elba  Italy

Specimen size: 7 × 5.2 × 4.5 cm