Rutilated Amethyst Crystal Mineral Display Specimen

Comprising four rectangular sections of grey pink and black medium to coarse-grained biotite-quartz-plagioclase gneiss with polished upper face, each with wooden backing and one cracked. 233.7 kg total, 85 x 57.7 - 85 x 58 cm



Canadian Shield, Minnesota River Valley, Southwestern Minnesota, USA. with Phillips, New York, 3 June 1995, no.81. Private collection, Florida, acquired at the above sale. with Sotheby’s, New York, 28 April 2021, no.27 (est. $2,500–3,500).

The world’s oldest known rocks come from the Canadian Shield area of North America. Among the most ancient is the present material, Morton Gneiss at approximately 3.5 billion years old believed to be part of Earth’s first planetary crust. The swirls and layers are a result of metamorphism that incurred when the original volcanic rock was buried to tremendous depths.

Irregular section with polished upper face displaying layered fossilised microbial mats in grey, brown and cream colours. 133 grams, 14 cm



From Pillbara, Western Australia. From the private collection of a Leicestershire, UK, gentleman.

Comprising: quartz, optical calcite, ruby crystals in matrix, sodalite, azurite on malachite, etched beryl crystal, tourmaline crystals, a 'diamond'-shaped resin stand, and others. 380 grams total, 30-72 mm



Property of a North West London, UK, lady.