David K. Joyce

Cobalt/Gowganda, Ontario -Various Species

Although Cobalt was famous for the vast quantities of silver mined there over many decades, many other minerals, some fairly rare, have been found there in impressive specimens, confirmed by electron microprobe analysis. Here are some.

All prices in Canadian dollars. For payment in US$, deduct 20% or multiply by 0.8.

Click on any of the following thumbnails to view a larger image of the specimen.

Item #18023 Skutterudite, Arsenopyrite 9.0x8.8x6.0 cm Largest Crystal Size: 11mm $150.00 Hudbay (Rustex) Mine Gowganda Ontario, Canada The top of this specimen reveals an opening exposed by etching calcite away. The opening is lined with sharp, classic crystals of skutterudite showing typically lop-sided cubes with smaller cube-octahedral crystals of skutterudite on the bigger faces. Really an excellent specimen of this mineral from a classic location! Some tiny arsenopyrite crystals are scattered around. Shows well!	Item #17060 Skutterudite 7.5x3.7x2.7 cm Largest Crystal Size: <1mm $40.00 Green Meehan mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada Colloidal groupings of skutterudite that some of which, I think, are actually pseudomorphs after a previous arsenide mineral. Nice looking piece!	Item #17121 Siderite 6.4x6.7x3.8 cm Largest Crystal Size: 1mm $65.00 Cobalt Ontario, Canada A vein of solid cobaltite cuts through diabase country rock, in this specimen. The siderite vein has some open spaces which are lined with lustrous, siderite rhombohedra. Unique!	Item #19902 Silver, Safflorite 3.8x3.2x3.0 cm Largest Crystal Size: n/a $65.00 Hudson Bay(Rustex) Mine Gowganda Ontario, Canada This specimen is a vein section that has dolomite on one side and calcite in the middle. Some of the calcite has been etched way to better reveal the botryoidal safflorite that has silver splashed between the botryoids or in veinlets in the dolomite. Interesting and rich!
Item #20850 Silver, Skutterudite 8.5x6.2x4.8 cm Largest Crystal Size: n/a $140.00 Beaver Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada This specimen is mostly composed of bladed crystals of safflorite arranged in hemispherical aggregates, TOTALLY laced through with native silver, which sticks out as hacly barbs all over. Some tiny skutterudite crystals here and there on the safflorite. VERY high grade! Heavy and nice!	Item #21512 Safflorite, Nickeline 8.3x5.3x5.7 cm Largest Crystal Size: 1mm $120.00 Nipissing 73 Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada This is an interesting, different one! Very elongated lobes of nickeline are coated with silver-grey safflorite crystals. The lobes are mostly safflorite but have narrow, hollow interiors that may have been filled with silver or some other mineral, at some time. The nickeline would then be some sort of pseudomorph. Looks great, anyway!	Item #21728 Acanthite 6.2x4.0x2.2 cm Largest Crystal Size: 1mm $40.00 Cobalt Lode Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada Calcite has been etched away to reveal a mesh of acanthite crystals and acanthite crystal casts after calcite. Not common.	Item #21736 Silver, Nickeline, Breithauptite 9.0x5.4x0.7 cm Largest Crystal Size: n/a $65.00 HiHo Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada This specimen is sawn on both sides to reveal very rich native silver occurring in carbonates and nickeline with a smattering of breithauptite. Rich and interesting vein section.
Item #22017 Lollingite, Quartz 3.4x3.6x4.6 cm Largest Crystal Size: 2mm $40.00 O'Brien Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada The top of this rock matrix is covered with a botryoidal arsenide, possibly lollingite or safflorite that is in turn, thickly sprinkled with 1-2mm lollingite crystals. Interesting AND looks good!	Item #22521 Skutterudite, Cobaltite (Dendrite) 10.6x8.0x3.8 cm Largest Crystal Size: n/a $75.00 Cobalt Lode Mine Cobalt Ontario, Canada THIS is a cool piece! You can see the thick bands of solid skutterudite on both sides of the specimen. Branching out from the skutterudite into the carbonate are dendrites of cobaltite. Dense. Interesting. Looks great.