DALLAS.- “It is a piece so perfect in arrangement, color and balance that one would think it was a man-made sculpture, rather than a natural specimen hewn from its pocket where it formed.”

That’s how Nicolas Valenzuela, Fine Minerals Consignment Director at Heritage Auctions, describes the stunning Elbaite on Quartz with Cleavelandite specimen that headlines Heritage’s March 7 Fine Minerals Signature® Auction. Excavated from one of the most famous tourmaline mines in the world – the Pederneira Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil – the specimen is from the mine’s Grandon pocket and features three incredible Elbaite crystals, two of them forming a perfect V-shape, supported by a gemmy matrix of white Cleavelandite dotted with more Elbaite crystals. A lightly smoky Quartz crystal slices horizontally across the matrix, breaking up the field of Cleavelandite and completing a striking combination that creates instant visual impact.

“Simply put, this is an artwork of nature,” Valenzuela says. “It’s easily one of the most aesthetically significant Pederneira Elbaite specimens on the market.”

The world-class example hails from the impressive collection of Thomas Everitt, a discerning enthusiast out of Colorado who carefully curated a selection of minerals that span classic localities from around the world. In addition to a comprehensive range of Wulfenite examples (including a museum-level specimen boasting 27 centimeters of butterscotch yellow Wulfenite), Everitt’s assemblage offers highlights such as a Rhodochrosite example so good it was featured on the 2019 Denver Mineral Show’s poster and guidebook, as well as a gorgeous Spinel on Marble example from Myanmar’s Mogok Township.

“It is a rare thing to acquire an entire collection of fine minerals, where the entirety of the catalog – not just the top specimens of the collection – can be designated as world-class and high-end,” Valenzuela says. “Everitt’s collection is a manifestation of a good eye and intense passion for the hobby.”




Another important collection featured in the March 7 auction is that of Rob Sielecki, a collector and dealer based in Melbourne, Australia. One of the major exporters of the well-loved and stunning lapidary material from Madagascar and Brazil, Sielecki picked out the finest material to be turned into beautifully prepared Quartz spheres, each included with a stunning variety of mineral species such as Rutile, Pyrite, Spessartine, Chlorite and even twinned species – all pristine and undisturbed within their crystalline structures.

When Sielecki first started dabbling in spheres, he used stones such as granite and jasper, but when he started working with high-quality quartz rough to make spheres – a dayslong process that requires careful cutting, grinding and polishing – he was wowed by the transformation.

“Sometimes you can tell from the rough that it is going to make something fantastic,” he says. “But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you really have no idea what’s inside until you start cleaning up the outside. Over the years, I accumulated quite a few pieces with very nice inclusions. Apart from looking quite wonderful, the spheres are also interesting mineral specimens. From a geologist’s point of view, they are quite fascinating.”

One outstanding piece in Sielecki’s collection is a striking Rutile, Chlorite, Feldspar Quartz sphere from Madagascar that measures 13.3 centimeters in diameter (5.25 inches). The Rutile is a shining vermillion, exceptionally metallic and sprawling through the Quartz in a series of red needles. Accenting the Rutile are deposits of mossy-green Chlorite and several bright white Feldspar crystals.

Other highlights include a gorgeous Rutile, Chlorite in Quartz, a small yet incredible Biotite on Microline in Quartz and a Brazilian Dendritic Quartz sphere.

“Many specimens in this collection, such as the large sphere included with vermillion-red Rutile, are one of a kind, as it is exceedingly difficult to find Quartz-included material of this quality and artistry,” Valenzuela says. “This is a singular opportunity to see what fantastic spheres have been accrued by a man who spent his career picking only the best from the material he handled for so many years.”