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A001
A large polished
jasper slice
(Western Australia)
With natural boulder edges.
Weight:
35KG
Width:
85cm |
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A002
An attractive polished lapis lazuli freeform
(Afghanistan)
Straight from the stories of the Thousand and
One Nights, lapis was introduced to Europe by
Alexander the Great, where the colour was called
"ultramarine", meaning "from beyond the seas".
Its modern name is a compound of lapis, the
Latin word for "stone", and the Arabian word "azuli",
denoting the colour.
Weight:
4KG
Height:
20cm |
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A003
Citrine (Brazil)
Citrine is a form of yellow quartz prized for
its colour and cut-ability as a gemstone. In
Victorian times it was known as the 'Merchants
Stone' and was thought to attract financial
abundance into one's life. For this reason small
pieces were carried in purses and wallets as a
talisman for good fortune. From a Feng Shui
perspective, citrine can be placed in the wealth
corner of a room or house to help attract
abundance.
Weight:
1.5KG
Height:
18cm |
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A004
Aquamarine
Crystal Specimen
On a Muscovite
Mica Matrix
(Gilgit, Pakistan)
(Left)
Weight:
0.7KG
Width:
12.5cm
(Right)
Weight:
1.9KG
Width:
19.5cm |
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A005
A Citrine Column
(Brazil)
Polished and of exceptional
clarity and purity.
Weight:
1.2KG
Height:
15.3cm |
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A006
A fine and unusual piece of amethyst
(Uruguay)
As
well as Brazil, Uruguay produces stunning
examples of this mineral. It can occasionally
form as stalactites and rounded masses or
"flowers", and this specimen, unusually,
exhibits both phenomena.
Weight:
26KG
Width:
48cm |
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A007
A rare psittacosaurus meileyingensis skull
(China)
(140-127 million years old)
Psittacosaurus (meaning "parrot lizard") was a
very small primitive ceratopsian. This was the
fast-moving plant-eater with a narrow horny
toothless beak and cheek teeth towards the rear
of the mouth as seen here. This animal had a
lifespan of at least ten years and was
approximately 1.2m tall.
Weight:
1KG
Height:
9cm |
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A008
An araucaria mirabilis (pine cone) fossil
on the original matrix (Argentina)
(206-140 million years old)
This is a petrified ovulate cone of the monkey
puzzle tree.
Weight:
0.35KG
Width:
13cm |
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A009
A priscacara liops fossil
in dark walnut frame
(USA)
(56-38 million years old)
Alive approximately 50 million years ago, this
is one of the more striking species of fish to
be found at the well-known Green River
Formation.
Visible Matrix:
Width:
27.8cm
Height:
22.6cm |
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A010
A good hyphalosaurus lingyuanensis fossil
in a
dark walnut frame
(China)
(154-140 million years old)
The
hyphalosaurus lingyuanensis was a freshwater
amphibious reptile found in Asia approximately
140 million years ago.
Visible Matrix:
Width:
17.1cm
Height:
46.6cm |
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A011
A good keichousaurus hui fossil
in dark walnut frame
(China)
This marine reptile lived about 220 million
years ago, and was probably ancestor to other
marine reptiles such as the plesiosaur, which
became extinct with the dinosaurs.
Visible Matrix:
Width:
15.6cm
Height:
32.6cm |
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A012
A good keichousaurus hui fossil
in a dark solid walnut frame (China)
(245-208 million years old)
This marine reptile lived about 220 million
years ago, and was probably ancestor to other
marine reptiles such as the plesiosaur, which
became extinct with the dinosaurs.
Visible
Matrix:
Width:
14.1cm
Height:
27.1cm |
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A013
A 'shrimp party' fossil plaque
in a dark solid walnut frame
(Germany)
(146-65 million years old)
Visible
Matrix:
Width:
39cm
Height:
25cm |
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A014
An attractive
Septarian “egg”
(Madagascar)
Cretaceous (140-65 million years ago)
Decomposing sealife killed by volcanic eruptions
had a chemical attraction for the sediment
around them, forming mud balls. As the ocean
receded, the balls were left to dry and crack.
Decomposing calcite from sea-shells was carried
down into the cracks in the balls forming
calcite crystals. These are the dark brown
crystals lining the cavity - here they are
Aragonite, a form of calcite. The name is
derived form the Latin septen, meaning seven, as
the mud balls crack with seven points in every
direction creating the beautiful design.
Weight:
19KG
Height:
34cm
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A015
A fine and rare Aegasteroceras Sagitttarium ("Scunny"
ammonite) fossil (England)
(208-198 million years old)
An
excellent example of this classic English
ammonite in its original matrix.
Weight:
7KG
Width:
30cm |
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