Description :

Highly desirable, curated estate lot of 9 vintage mineral and geological specimens, primarily compiled by prominent mid-century rockhounds in the Pacific Northwest. This collection stands out for its exceptional historical documentation, featuring original, handwritten collector labels that detail rare urban excavations, specific mine districts, and noted regional collectors.

This lot represents a fantastic opportunity for regional history enthusiasts, mineral collectors, or museums specializing in 20th-century Americana lapidary history

"Mountain Leather" (Palygorskite) – Metaline, WA: A remarkably tough, pliable, felt-like fibrous mat of palygorskite. Features an embedded vintage pen label pinning it to the historic Pend Oreille Mine in Pend Oreille County, Washington.

1940s Spokane Excavation Wood Fragment – Spokane, WA: An incredible piece of local history. Includes a highly detailed collector's card by E.V.

Shannon documenting an ancient piece of charred wood (Sequoia/Black Walnut variant) pulled from 10 feet deep in volcanic ash during the Division Street Cut (Mallon & Division) municipal excavation.

Don Major Collection Agate & Epidote – Thurston County / Mt. Adams, WA: Includes a finely banded fortification agate slab and an accompanying pistachio-green prismatic epidote cluster linked to the well-known regional collector Don Major (Tenino, WA), dated 1943.

Opalescent Dogtooth Calcite – Paterson, NJ: A classic, spiky cluster of sharp dogtooth calcite crystals complete with its original handwritten locality slip from the famous basalt quarries of Passaic County, New Jersey.

Opalized Wood & Druzy Geode Vug:Two classic lapidary specimens; the opalized wood features an old red-bordered label attributing it to "St. Paul's," showcasing excellent wood-grain preservation and a waxy luster.

Fossilized Sponge/Concretion: A distinctive, sandy-textured club-shaped specimen resembling a prehistoric Siphonia siliceous sponge or an unusual sandstone concretion.

Translucent Green Cullet/Fluorite Specimen: A vibrant, gemmy green cabinet piece featuring highly pronounced conchoidal (glass-like) fracture waves.