Crystal Mine

Crystal Mine
P.O. Box 18941
Reno, NV 89511
775-852-6046
Jack Crowley
jcrowley@crystal-mine.com

NEWS:

February 24, 2010. New Arrivals Page 1 has been updated with a colorful suite of 21 minerals from around the world. Featured are two Chinese wulfenites from the limited find of a couple of years ago; also 3 very good wurtzite specimens from the 1990's find at Huanzala in Peru.

kFebruary 17, 2010. I removed all sold specimens in preparation for the next update.

February 9, 2010. New Arrivals Page 3, has been updated with a suite of inexpensive specimens that I have been accruing for some time. These are $40 and under, and represent localities from around the world. I had a suite of andradite specimens from the South Peacock mine in Idaho on a prior update that were collected this past summer. These were all sold, so I went back through the flats and photographed the remainder of these, which are mostly thumbnails, and added them to this update also. The next update later this week will feature higher priced specimens. I also reduced the sale page prices (General Stock Page 12) by another 5% on most of the specimens. Quite a few specimens were also added to the sale page. These start out with 30% off. New Arrivals Page 4 has been updated with a suite of specimens from around the world. Featured is a nice malachite pseudo after azurite from Tsumeb with nearly 7 cm pseudos; also a pretty Chinese wulfenite with that neat deep red color.

January 26, 2010. I updated New Arrivals Page 2 with a mix of specimens, from TN to cabinet, some self collected from Nevada about 10 years ago, the rest from various locations around the world. My next update, hopefully, will be next week.

November 2, 2008 Ludwigite: The site has been updated with a suite of ludwigite crystal specimens from Idaho. These are the best in the world, with clean, sharp black crystals present, rather than the usual sprays and radiating masses of indistinct crystals found elsewhere in the world. One of the crystals is an incredible 8 cm long! I X-rayed several pieces to verify their identity and the CPDS Standard Card and my x-ray diffraction charts are shown below. These can be seen on General Stock Page 4.

These ludwigites are frequently altered to an unknown Mn-Fe-B hydroxide (Lanny Ream, verbal communication). Where this alteration has occurred, the ludwigite prisms are rather etched looking, although still retaining a good bit of luster. Many of the specimens are unaltered, sharp, bright, black prisms in calcite. Magnetite is a frequent associate of these specimens, with, occasionally, small black spinels a mm or two across.

August 14, 2008

I read the issue of the Mineralogical Record and noted in the letters to the editor one of the complaints mail order specimen receivers have is that they have to pay for both the postage to receive the specimen, and the postage to return the specimen if they do not care for it. So I decided on a trial basis to pay for the return postage on any specimens you receive from me that you do not care for. I'll just send a check for the postage amount, or give a credit on the next purchase, whichever is preferred. This is only for specimens where you have paid the postage to receive the specimen.

In addition I have added additional pages to the site. There are New Arrivals Pages 1, 2, 3, & 4. In General Stock there is General Stock page 1, all minerals starting with A. General Stock Page 2, all minerals starting with B. General Stock Page 3, all minerals starting with C, D, and E. General Stock page 4, all minerals starting with F, G, H, I, J, K, & L. General Stock page 5, all minerals starting with M, N, & O. General Stock page 6, all Nevada minerals. General Stock page 7, all minerals starting with P. General Stock page 8, all minerals starting with Q, R. General Stock page 9, all minerals starting with S, T, & U. General Stock page 10, all minerals starting with V, W, X, Y, & Z. General stock page 11 is for thumbnail minerals. General Stock page 12 is the SALE PAGE, where minerals are offered at discounts of from 30% to 80% off...these are usually specimens that have been on the site for awhile.

December 26, 2002 I purchased two small collections of specimens mostly purchased in the 1950's through early 1970's. Mostly inexpensive pieces, I will be adding them to the site a few on each update. These are heavy in U.S. and Mexico localities.

March 20, 2002 I have made General Stock page 6 into an all Nevada page, as I keep finding neat specimens in my collecting expeditions around this great mineral collecting state.

December 2000
We are a mineral dealership located in Reno, Nevada. We are ardent field collectors and have been dealing in and collecting minerals for many years. You can see us in person every year at the following shows: San Francisco show in August; and Denver, Colorado in September.

I have been a mineral collector since I was taken underground at the Clayton Silver mine in Idaho at the ripe old age of 9, by my grandfather, who worked there as a foreman. My first look at the mine's working face of solid sparkling galena had me hooked on minerals from that moment on. Since then I went on to get my Masters' degree in Geology with a focus on economics and mineralogy. I have been working as a professional geologist since then. My favorite mineral is pyromorphite. I'm always on the lookout for pyromorphite specimens. I am particularly interested in Canadian specimens.