Austrian Alps: Minerals from alpine clefts and ore deposits

23-009 - Adularia & Smoky Quartz - 450 €
Innerer Knorrkogel, Innergschlöß, Osttirol, Austria
Size: 125 x 75 x 50 mm

 

Aggregate of lustrous adularia branches with smoky quartz and minor pericline. Old find by G. Obkircher.

18-009 - Amethyst Sceptre - 1.200 €
Alteck, Wurten, Innerfragant, Kärnten, Austria
Size: 100 x 85 x 45 mm

 

Amethyst sceptre heads grown over first generation elestial quartz. All amethyst tips are in pristine condition, the backside forms a rehealed detachement zone. The specimen stems from a major find in 2011 by a group of local field-collectors around T. Wabnig. A detailed find report is published in F. Walter et al., Mineralien-Welt 01/2013, p. 68-73.

19-007 - Fluorite with Calcite - 650 €

Weißeck ice cleft, Riedingtal, Lungau, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 83 x 49 x 27 mm

 

Floater piece of lustrous fluorite cubes with intense purple core and colorless outer sections. The piece stems from the so-called "Eiskluft" (ice cleft) found by R. Bacher and W. Petzelberger in 2007 at the north slope close to the summit of Weißeck mountain. The cleft has been worked until 2016 and provided a great variety of different fluorites in terms of color and habit. The fluorites according to the type of piece at hand were found in 2010 in the first section of the cleft.   

20-018 - Hematite, Calcite, Albite - 350 €

Nussingkogel, Tauerntal, Osttirol, Austria

Size: 100 x 60 x 55 mm

 

Lustrous hematite blades up to 10 mm on a bed of calcite and albite. The piece stems from a well-known find of Georg Mühlburger in the early 1970's at the north slope of Nussingkogel mountain. The piece was in the collection of Dr. Heinz Weninger (Montanuniversität Leoben) and is depicted in his monograph "Die alpinen Kluftmineralien der österreichischen Ostalpen", Sonderschrift DER AUFSCHLUSS, 1974. Comes with the original Weninger collection label.

21-008 - Titanite - 950 €

Kristallwand, Frosnitz, Osttirol, Austria

Size: 120 x 110 mm

 

Rich plate covered with numerous titanite crystals surrounding a doubly-terminated main twin of 15 mm length.

21-007 - Titanite - 950 €

Kristallwand, Frosnitz, Osttirol, Austria

Size: 135 x 55 mm

 

Numerous isolated titanite twin crystals of up to 10 mm length. The backside of the gneiss matrix is trimmed.

16-070 - Calcite & Rock Crystal - 180 €

Auernig, Mallnitz, Kärnten, Austria

Size: 200 x 115 x 60 mm

 

Calcites and rock crystals with amphibolite and chlorite inclusions on amphibolite matrix, a typical specimen for Auernig mountain.

18-021 - Scheelite - 300 €

Gjaidtroghöhe, Großes Fleißtal, Kärnten, Austria

Size: 55 x 35 x 30 mm

 

Scheelite of intense orange color from a unique find at the north face of Gjaidtroghöhe mountain in 2013. The find contained a number of crystal fragments, 4 kg in total. The piece on-hand shows great luster and distinct crystallization on the display side. The piece has one repair.

16-066 - Rock Crystal - 80 €

Hocharn-Schwarzkopf, Hüttwinkl Tal, Rauris, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 16 x 8 x 8 cm

 

Group of rock crystals, crystallized on all sides and partially developed doubly terminated. The bottom side carries some limonite and pericline. Found by the Rauris collector H. Grabmayer.

Greenschist included Quartz - sold

Diepalgraben, Zederhaustal, Lungau, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 100 x 80 x 40 mm

Video

Floater piece of doubly-terminated rock crystals with dense greenschist inclusions to the prism faces. There are three crystal generations, the largest 1st generation crystal measuring 85 mm. From a well-documented find of the local collector R. Bacher in 2003 (cf. Lapis, Nr. 5, 2011).  

Epidote, Byssolite, Albite - sold

Knappenwand, Untersulzbachtal, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 71 x 41 x 27 mm

360° video

V-shaped group of lustrous epidote crystals with byssolite and albite. The epidotes are translucent and exhibit distinct pleochroism with various color shades of green and brown (see video). All terminal faces well developed and intact. The specimen has one professional repair to the base of the side crystal protruding from the byssolite towards the back (basically invisible).

The specimen was found by the team of the Natural History Museum in Vienna working at the Knappenwand in the years 1977-1992. An original NHM label comes with the specimen declaring the detailed find was cleft no. 25. A picture of this particular cleft is shown in the Min. Rec. article about the Knappenwand (Mineralogical Record, vol. 17 (1986), pp 167-181). 

Fenster Quartz - sold

Forsterbachtal, Rauris, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 90 x 75 x 65 mm

Video

Cluster of doubly terminated fenster quartz crystals. The surfaces are highly lustrous and exhibit countless step-growth features and some rehealed sections. A prismatic rock crystal of first growth generation is buried at the bottom. Minor pyrite crystals are scattered over the piece. Found by J. Pleikner sen. many years ago. 

Smoky Quartz - sold

Trömmernscharte, Alteck, Gr. Zirknitztal, Carinthia, Austria

Size: 23.5 x 7 x 6.5 cm

Video

Large smoky quartz with good luster and clarity. One rhombohedral face is polished. Found by W. Hoffmann and T. Wabnig in 2000 - a picture of the finders in the cleft is published in extraLapis 38 "Kärnten". A similar smoky quartz single crystal from the find is on public display in the noted Kirchler collection (Mineralienmuseum Kirchler, Ahrntal). Ex O. Konczer collection.

Epidote - sold

Söllnkar, Krimmler Achental, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 47 x 19 x 4 mm

360° video

Highly translucent epidote crystals emanating from a growth faden. Ex Volker Betz.

Titanite - sold

Kristallwand, Frosnitztal, Osttirol, Austria

Size: 4.5 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm

Titanite crystals of intense cognac-orange color on paragneiss matrix. The exposed main crystal measures 14 mm.

Fluorite & Rock Crystal - sold

Bockriegel, Romatespitze, Tauerntal, Mallnitz, Kärnten, Austria

Size: 4.5 x 3.2 x 1.8 cm

360° video

Floater piece from an alpine fluorite cleft worked by R. Hasler in 1998 and 2013 (cf. Lapis 03/2014). Nicely balanced specimen in paragenesis with clear and lustrous rock crystals. The fluorite octahedra measure up to 11 mm on edge. The second fluorite generation grown in rhombic dodecahedral habit with ink-blue color accents is the unique feature of this particular find. The specimen is in excellent condition, free of significant damage.

Rock Crystal - sold

Eiskögele, Stubachtal, Salzburg, Austria

Size: 18 × 8.8 × 7.5 cm

360° video

Massive rock crystal from a famous find in the dangerous north face of Eiskögele mountain, made by the Hofer brothers in summer 2003 (cf. the video documentary available on DVD from the finder). Despite a good number of huge crystals in this find, only very few were recovered without damaged crystal tips - the specimen on hand has a crack at the bottom (no repair though), but comes with a pristine tip. A typical feature of  the crystals from this find is one dominant, elongated rhombohedral face, which is displayed distinctly by the present specimen. The prism faces show highly lustrous sections alternating with interesting etching pattern. The backside carries some siderite crust with minor calcite and few speckles of ingrown chlorite. Decent specimen from a spectacular alpine crystal find.

Fluorite & Quartz - sold

Stampflkees, Zamser Grund, Zillertal, Tirol, Austria

Size: 10.8 x 7.2 x 5.1 cm

360° video

Purple fluorite octahedra partially encrusted with a yellowish quartz layer. The specimen stems from a famous find in the 1980's from the slopes below the Stampflkees. While most of the fluorites from this find were green, the purple color of the specimen on hand is rather rare.

Adularia & Pericline - sold

Hoher Happ, Maurertal, Virgental, Osttirol, Austria

Size: 12.5 x 11 x 9.5 cm

360° video

Glossy adularia crystals on snow-white pericline. Some adularia crystals show signs of cleavage. Specimen from one of the best feldspar clefts of the Austrian Alps.

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