Pakistan and Afghanistan Minerals

There were a few dealers selling specimens from Afghanistan and Pakistan.  I did not make obtaining these specimens a high priority so the quantity of pieces is modest.   There are some interesting things here though including fine specimens of afghanite,

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PA-01 - $95.00
Chrome Diopside on Calcite with Byssolite
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
4.6 x 2.3 x 1.7 cm
 

Fully terminated 2.4 cm crystal of chrome diopside perched on a thin bladed crystal of calcite.  Byssolite - the acicular form of actinolite - is found at the base of the crystal.  A close up of the calcite shows some interesting chevron faces. No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-02 - $135.00
Chlorite included Quartz
Skardu Road
Gilgit
Pakistan
7.3 x 4.5 x 3 cm
 

Cluster of quartz crystals included with chlorite.  The crystals have brilliant and galssy luster.  The largest crystal i s 3.5 cm in length. No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-03 Sold in the Mineralshows.com Auctions
Gem Chrome Diopside
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
1.6 cm
 

Razor sharp and gemmy crystal of chrome diopside.  I had to tweak the lighting a bit to reveal the clarity of this little rascal.  No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-04 - $50.00
Sphene
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
2.5 x 1.1 x 1.1 cm
 

Doubly terminated floater crystal of sphene.  The coloration of this crystal is really cool I think!

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-05 - $100.00
Chrome Diopside
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
3.7 x 0.5 x 0.4 cm
 

Fully terminated crystal of chrome diopside.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-06 - $165.00
Epidote & Apatite
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
3.5 x 3.2 x 2 cm
 

Aesthetic small miniature of epidote with a druse of light pink apatite crystals.  I back lit the 1.7 cm epidote to demonstrate the pleochroic nature of the species.  Pistachio green in one direction and brown in another.  All of the crystals have brilliant luster and no damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-07 - $45.00
Clinozoisite
Tormiq
Baltistan
Pakistan
1.8 x 0.8 x 0.2 cm
 

Fully terminated and gemmy though thin crystal of clinozoisite.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-08 - $45.00
Vesuvianite
Nuristan
Afghanistan
Pakistan
1.6 x 0.6 cm
 

Fully terminated crystal of olive green vesuvianite.  The crystal has excellent form and brilliant luster.  No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-09 - $50.00
Vesuvianite
Nuristan
Afghanistan
Pakistan
1.6 x 0.8 cm
 

Fully terminated crystal of olive green vesuvianite.  The crystal has excellent form and brilliant luster.  No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-10 - $145.00
Mangatantalite
Paprock
Kunar
Afghanistan
Pakistan
3.5 x 2.9 x 1.7cm
 

Doubly terminated crystal of mangantantalite. There is a small amount of tourmaline and albite attached to it.  When backlit by a pen light the most amazing ruby red color shows through!  The crystal faces are rounded slightly through natural etching.  There are two very small nicks on the edges of this large and otherwise impressive crystal.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-11 - $125.00
Kunzite, Quartz and Pollucite
Paprock
Kunar
Afghanistan
6 x 4.5 x 4 cm
 

Attractive specimen of quartz with a rich lilac colored etched kunzite crystal and a very etched pollucite crystal.  The kunzite crystal is 3.4 cm in length.  Pollucite is one of the rare minerals that contains cesium and sodium and differs from kunzite only by the lack of lithium.  Quartz is just silicon dioxide.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-12 - $50.00
Apatite
Laghman
Afghanistan
4.5 x 3.5 x 2.2 cm
 

Two fully terminated crystals of apatite are set on quartz.  The crystal fluoresce yellow orange under SW UV light.  The largest is 1.1 cm across.  No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-13- Sold in the Mineralshows.com Auctions
Scepter Topaz
Niyit, Bruck
Baltistan
Pakistan
2.4 x 1.7 x 1.1 cm
 

One of the more unusual crystal of topaz I have seen from Pakistan of late - this one is a doubly terminated (floater) crystal that has been etched into a sceptre form at the base.   The entire specimen is damage free and has a perfect textbook form and termination at the top end but a bizarre form on the other.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-14 - $175.00
Tourmaline and Albite on Lepidolite
Paprock
Kunar
Afghanistan
4.8 x 4 x 3.5 cm
 

Over a half dozen fully terminated crystals of bluish green tourmaline are set on this specimen of lepidolite.  There are also crystals of albite and quartz present.  The largest tourmaline is 1.7 cm in length.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-15 - $65.00
Beryl v. Goshenite with Muscovite inclusion
Chumar Bakar
Nagar
Pakistan
2.3 x 1.4 x 1.1 cm
 

Water clear and perfect crystal of beryl variety goshenite (there is a faint trace of aqua coloring) with some muscovite at the base and in the center of the crystal!  The photo on the lower right shows the muscovite through three different faces at once.  The diffraction of light is pretty strong in beryl... No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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The next 5 specimens are of Afghanite.  These are from a new find made this past summer in Afghanistan before all of the tragic events of Sept 11th unfolded.  This new find represents some of the best specimens of this mineral yet found.  Afghanite is a bowl of alphabet soup when it comes to its chemical formula which is (Na,Ca,K)8(Si,Al)12O24(SO4,Cl,CO3)3·(H2O).  Like Thamausite this species is both a silicate and sulfate/carbonate.  These specimens were obtained from Francois Lietard and are the best specimens in the miniature size class that were to found at the show.  Under SW light these specimens light up with colors of orange and yellows and shades in between.  Afghanite is very weakly  fluorescent in its core.  The crystals of afghanite are almost 100% rounded.  That is their nature.  Some rare examples such as specimen # PA-21 have distinct and sharp crystal faces.

PA-20 - $750.00
Afghanite
Lapis-lazuli mine
Kokcha Valley, Badakshan
Afghanistan
3.5 x 3 x 2.5 cm
 

Exceptionally rare freestanding 1.7 cm crystal of afghanite exposed from the encasing marble. No damage.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-21 - $800.00
Afghanite
Lapis-lazuli mine
Kokcha Valley, Badakshan
Afghanistan
4.5 x 4 x 3.5 cm
 

1.5 cm transluscent and sharply defined crystal of afghanite is exposed from marble. When viewed closely it is apparent that this a doubly terminated crystal.  This is about as close to gem quality afghanite as you will see.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-22 - $550.00
Afghanite
Lapis-lazuli mine
Kokcha Valley, Badakshan
Afghanistan
4.7 x 4 x 3 cm
 

A 2.3 cm doubly terminated but significantly etched crystal of afghanite is set on marble and pyrite rich matrix.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-23 - $625.00
Afghanite
Lapis-lazuli mine
Kokcha Valley, Badakshan
Afghanistan
3.5 x 3 x 2.2 cm
 

1.4 cm crystal of afghanite set on matrix of marble, pyrite and malformed afghanite and lazurite.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-24 - $950.00
Afghanite
Lapis-lazuli mine
Kokcha Valley, Badakshan
Afghanistan
5.5 x 4 x 3.5 cm
 

Three crystals of afghanite are exposed from marble matrix.  The crystal on the far left is exceptional for its sharp crystal faces and excellent color.  The largest of these crystals is the center crystal.  It is 1.5 cm and is actually longer as more of it is still encased in matrix.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-26 - $250.00
Chrome Andradite
Paushir Valley
Kunar
Afghanistan
1.5 x 1.2 cm
 

Deep pine green crystal of chrome andradite with dodecahedral crystal form.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-27 - $200.00
Chrome Andradite
Paushir Valley
Kunar
Afghanistan
1.8 x 1.3 cm
 
 

Two intergrown deep pine green crystal of chrome andradite with dodecahedral crystal form.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-28 - $275.00
Violet Sapphire
Aliabad
Hunza Valley
Pakistan
4 x 3.7 x 2.2 cm
 

1.7 x 1.2 cm crystal of violet colored corundum var. Sapphire exposed from calcite matrix.  There is a smaller 0.5 cm crystal found at the base of the specimen also.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-29 - $125.00
Violet Sapphire
Aliabad
Hunza Valley
Pakistan
3.7 x 3.5 x 2 cm
 

0.8 x 0.7 cm crystal of violet colored corundum var. Sapphire exposed from calcite matrix.
 

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-30 - Sold in the Mineralshows.com Auctions
Garnet var. Spessartine
Shigar
Gilgit
Pakistan
2 x 1.7 x 1 cm
 
 

Two crystals of spessartine with trapezohedral form to 1.6 cm across are found with a small amount of albite matrix.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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PA-31 - $65.00
Corundum var. Ruby
Ponshir
Nusristan
Afghanistan
7 x 5 x 3 cm
 

1 x 0.7 cm crystal of corundum var ruby is exposed from calcite matrix.

To order this specimen send email to:
John@TrinityMinerals.com

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