Russ Rizzo's Photo Gallery

PJR-48PSpodumene (Var: Kunzite) LiAlSi₂O₆

San Pedro Mine, Hiriart Mountain, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego County, California, USA

Dimensions: 9.3 cm x 2.6 cm x 1.4 cm

A doubly terminated, gemmy and lustrous, purple-pink kunzite crystal from the much less well-known San Pedro Mine on Hiriart Mountain, San Diego County, California. Over the years the mines of the Pala district have produced a significant amount of kunzite, much of it being of high quality. I think that kunzite specimens from San Diego are far better than what you can get from Afghanistan an are rivaled only by the kunzite from Brazil. Specimens from Pala such as this one are not easy to find these days as Hiriart Mountain was reverted back to the Pala Tribe in 1992.

06P-G02Fluorapatite Ca₅(PO₄)₃F , Muscovite KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂

Zé Pinto claim, Aldeia, Cuparaque, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Dimensions: 6.7 cm x 6.2 cm x 7.1 cm

This specimen features a combination of large, well-formed hexagons of muscovite with many prismatic crystals of green-colored fluorapatite. The muscovite has an excellent metallic luster with a reddish-copper color. Even without the fluorapatite crystals this would be a top notch muscovite specimen. The combination of the two minerals makes it all the better. Another feature of this specimen is that the fluorapatite crystal exhibit an mild-moderate yellow-orange fluorescence when lit by SWUV.

8UM-TNUSpodumene (Var: Kunzite) LiAlSi₂O₆

Pala Chief Mine, Chief Mountain, Pala, Pala Mining District, San Diego County, California, USA

Dimensions: 6.4 cm x 3.3 cm x .9 cm

Three views of an incredibly gemmy crystal of kunzite. The crystal is lightly etched and is complete all-around with no damage. This specimen came from the collection of noted San Diego collector, Chuck Houser. The Pala Chief mine has been the source of some of the finest Kunzite crystals ever found in southern California. The deposit was first discovered in May of 1903, and developed by several open cuts and minor underground works until mining ceased sometime around 1914. Occasional finds of Spodumene were made again in the mid 1960's, and occasional small finds still occur as a result of ongoing surface and underground mining operations.

5V0-GJ5Siderite FeCO₃ , Apatite Ca₅(PO₄)₃(Cl/F/OH) , Chalcopyrite CuFeS₂ , Pyrite FeS₂

Julcani District, Angaraes Province, Huancavelica, Peru

Dimensions: 11.2 cm x 10.1 cm x 4.2 cm

A classic siderite specimen from the famous Julcani District in Peru. This attractive specimen hosts sharp, well-formed, rhombic siderite crystals with a pleasing, silky lustre on a matrix of massive pyrite. This specimen also features nearly a dozen crystals of colorless apatite making for an unusual association. Also present on this specimen are numerous small crystals of chalcopyrite.

J2U-RCDMalachite Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂

Mashamba West Mine, Sicomines copper-cobalt project, Mutshatsha, Lualaba, DR Congo

Dimensions: 12.3 cm x 2.3 cm x 2 cm

A fantastically shaped and large malachite stalactite from the Mashamba West Mine. Some of the finest Malachite specimens known have come from the Katanga region of the Congo. This stalactite has a narrow hollow tube in its center, from the base all the way up to its tip. The specimen also has a matte finish and a striking, bulbous, non-linear form.

TPT-425Conichalcite CaCu(AsO₄)(OH) , Malachite Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂ , Calcite CaCO₃

Hilarion Mine, Kamariza Mines, Agios Konstantinos, Lavrion Mining District, Lavreotiki, East Attica, Attica, Greece

Dimensions: 4.7 cm x 3.4 cm x 2.4 cm

A vuggy specimen of the two copper minerals, Conichalcite and Malachite. This vibrantly colored specimen features well-formed crystals of calcite as well which add a nice accent to the piece.

R7E-J0QCalcite (Var: Glendonite) CaCO₃

Carter Creek, North Slope Borough, Alaska, USA

Dimensions: 7.3 cm x 2.4 cm x 2.4 cm

A doubly-terminated pseudomorph/alteration specimen of "glendonite" from one of America's northernmost mineral localities. These specimens start out as the mineral ikaite which is calcium carbonate but with a handful of water molecules attached to it. Once the ikaite reaches a temperature above 8°C (46°F), it alters to calcite.

1VC-VQ3Almandine Fe²⁺₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃

Buviknakken, Buvika, Sørfold, Nordland, Norway

Dimensions: 3.6 cm x 2.7 cm x 2.3 cm

A complete crystal of almandine from a noteworthy Norse location. This garnet has a good lustre and a pleasing deep wine-red hue. At 3.6 centimeters this crystal is a bit larger than usual for this location. This locality was discovered in the early 1970's by the Norwegian collector Korneliussen. An episode where collectors used dynamite at the site without permission from the landowner has made collectors unpopular and not always welcome in the area.

AHA-7EVMalachite Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂

Mashamba West Mine, Sicomines copper-cobalt project, Mutshatsha, Lualaba, DR Congo

Dimensions: 4.5 cm x 3.9 cm x 3.6 cm

Despite its small size, this malachite specimen really has a presence. The vug of this specimen shimmers very much like velvet due to the dense sheaves of micro-acicular crystals. This specimen is solid malachite with a small crystal of barite protruding from the edge of the specimen's vug.

L58-K4MCalcite CaCO₃

Droujba mine, Djurkovo Complex, Laki, Laki Municipality, Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria

Dimensions: 8 cm x 3.3 cm x 2.7 cm

This scalenohedral crystal of Calcite is hollow and is a cast after, oddly enough, Calcite.