This jewel-like cluster features brilliantly clustrous, clear fluorites showing cuboctohedral crystals with dramatic an dcomplex modifications to their tips. They are perched on equally sparkling sulfide matrix of pyrite , making for a stark contrast that really just leaps out , despite not having the traditional pastel color hues most Naica fluorite has. The overall look of this subtly complex piece is just different, and more brilliantly lustrous, than most Naica specimens. Despite the good photos, it is even better in person. One of the special fluorites among many in this fine old Mexican mineral collection. Joe Budd photos.

A complex crystal cluster of fluorite consisting of gemmy, pastel-green, highly modified cubes, sits atop a perch of sphalerite in this elegant and really special combination piece. The quality is amazing - you just have to see it in person to grasp all the complexity, and catch the full gemminess. One special bonus are the tiny, brilliantly metallic, sprinkles of pyrite floating about inside. It is 360-degrees, complete all around! One of the special fluorites among many in this fine old Mexican mineral collection. Joe Budd photos.

A glassy and gemmy, light-green crystal of fluorite, measuring 2.5 cm across, is nearly surrounded by rosettes of lustrous and translucent, white calcite to 8 mm in length. A drusy coating of brassy yellow pyrite also provides a halo for the fluorite crystal and creates an unusual combination piece

Truly spectacular in every sense, these old classics are unique specimens. They turn up rarely, in old collections. An iridescent coating of marcasite nearly covers all of two milky crystals of quartz, to 6.5 cm in length. The marcasite colors range from brassy yellow, to emerald green, to to copper and magenta. I believe this to be one of the finer examples of this combination for its coloration, size, and aesthetics.

This combo specimen from Santa Eulalia is visually compelling and , i think, a very rare find of which i have seen only 3 pieces in 25 years of looking. Spheres of sparkling, light pink rhodochrosite, to 2.35 cm across, line a vug and are perfectly preserved. Associated atop the rhodochrosites are several glassy and gemmy, light purple crystals of amethyst, to 1.5 cm in length. Som eof them even have rhodochrosite INCLUSIONS within. Very rare material. The only other piece i saw of this size was one from the Zinn collection, dated to the 1970s

A matrix of reddish-brown, massive hematite hosts a sparkling druse of brilliant little red calcites, all colored a solid red with hematite inclusions. Atop the sparkly layer, are several very sharp, very glassy, and slightly translucent calcite rhombohedrons to about an inch across. The crystals are heavily included by finely disseminated reddish hematite dust, which gives them their color. This is from classic old finds here. Some has also been found more recently, but not with such intense color as the best of the old material. And of this older material, VERY few pieces have such luster as this does...equally as important as the color. Also, the plate has no damage and is pristine (yet again, uncommon for the material)

From a base of stubby, white quartz crystals has emerged a branching tree of lustrous and translucent, hematite included, quartz crystals, to 6 cm in length. For added effect , a druse of brassy yellow pyrite is scattered about on the quartz crystals. On first glance, this looks like a tree. It is extremely 3-dimensional, very aesthetic and unique when seen in person, and is NOT just another quartz.

Crystals of tabular, lustrous and translucent, light grayish-blue, celestine, to 2 cm across, have encrusted several 5 cm crystals of danburite. Unusual combination and a superb celestine for this locale. Faintly more blue in person, than the photos appear.

The highlight of this specimen is the unusual, tapering tessin-style, 9.5 cm-tall , lustrous and translucent quartz crystal with chlorite inclusions. The inclusions color it a grayish green . The rest of the specimen is composed of a druse of calcite and several, splendent, brassy yellow crystals of chalcopyrite. An unusual combo for the locality

Rising aesthetically out of its matrix is a single, limpid, crystal of gypsum. It is almost 9 cm long, 1.5 cm wide. The whole length of the colorless crystal is totally gemmy!