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This week's haul from the Madawaska Mica Mine, Ontario — tourmaline, lepidolite, and a surprise beryl

Made the trip to the Madawaska mine for the third time this year and it absolutely delivered. The dig fee is worth every penny — the tailings are still full of gem-quality tourmali…

Trading duplicate Sikhote-Alin shrapnel fragments (3 pcs) for quality pallasite slice

Have three Sikhote-Alin iron meteorite shrapnel pieces from the 1947 fall in Russia. All are twisted regmaglypted fragments — classic shrapnel morphology. Weights: 18g, 24g, 31g. A…

Authenticating suspected Burmese ruby vs synthetic corundum — anyone have hands-on experience with the inclusion patterns?

I have a stone I am looking at for a client — submitted as a natural Burmese ruby, approximately 2.8 carats, vivid red with strong fluorescence. Under the microscope I can see flu…

Looking for any quality obsidian rough — Apache Tear, rainbow, snowflake, mahogany

Building my obsidian reference collection and looking to acquire quality specimens from across the US Southwest. Have been using Apache Tears from Arizona in my lapidary work but w…