Updated September 1st, 2011!
Welcome to the Silver Rooms!
Since you clicked the link and entered
this room, you're probably either a Silver mineral collector
like myself or interested in everything that is a mineral. In the following rooms, you
will find the
largest and most diverse assortment of Silvers on the internet! Enjoy the offering and
please
e-mail me if you have any questions or
comments. As usual, all reasonable offers are welcome.
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MIN#SILVER-1 NEW!
Incredibly rare specimen featuring Native
Silver wires atop Sulfide matrix with Quartz!
This is the rarest Silver I've owned! This incredibly aesthetic specimen is from the
original Silver workings
in the California Gulch near Leadville, California! The earliest Silvers that were
mined consisted of fine
wires but later ores were of a lower quality and the wires all but disappeared. The above
specimen is
definately from the early mining period and I've never seen another Leadville Silver that
even comes
close to its quality. Interestingly enough, the town of Leadville was built on Silver and
Gold mining but
later made a living from Lead and Molybdenite. Today, not much is happening but the town
still thrives.
(Special note: The specimen has been tested and verified as
Leadville by Dr. Terry Wallace - Univ. of Arizona)
Circa 1870's - 1880's - From the California Gulch Area, Leadville,
Lake County, Colorado.
It measures 5 cm by 5.7 cm by 4.4 cm in total size.
Ex. Davidson, Raabe, Graeber Mineral Collections
From the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled stand.
Price $25,000
To Order
This Specimen, Please Click Here! |
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MIN#SILVER-2 NEW!
MUSEUM QUALITY!! Large cabinet
specimen of Native Silver dendrites on Native Arsenic!
Easily the finest and largest specimen from this locality that I've seen in all my years
of collecting!
The dendritic Silver feathers cover nearly the entire surface and are present on both
sides. They
are well attached but slightly above the matrix at the same time which is exactly how fine
plates
of this material should be. If I had to make a comparison of crystal habit, I would
compare the look
of these Silver feathers to those you see in the Gold specimen from Hope's Nose. Of course
with
this specimen, there's a lot more crystallization for the dollar spent and this large
plate would make a
incredible centerpiece for a Silver collection or any collection of fine minerals. It is
an amazing thing!
From the Pöhla-Tellerhäuser Mine, Pöhla, Schwarzenberg District, Erzgebirge, Saxony,
Germany.
Measures 14.4 cm by 10 cm by 6.5 cm in total size and weighs 1600 grams!
Ex. Victor Yount Mineral Collection
Price $14,500
To Order
This Specimen, Please Click Here! |
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EXCEPTIONAL!! Thick, curling wire of
Native Silver on Calcite matrix!
This is what a Kongsberg Silver should look like!
Thick, striated, and antique patinaed,
rising out from a Calcite seam in matrix. When I think of the miners of yesteryear mining
Silver in Kongsberg, this is the image I have in mind. I can only imagine what they must
of thought when these specimens were discovered by candlelight inside those old mines.
Unfortunately for them, all Silver ore mined was the property of the King. This amazing
specimen features a 1+ cm thick wire which curls its way upwards some 5.6 cm. The
wire narrowed a bit as it grew but kept a nice thickness all the way up. Needless to
say, there's no risk of bending this sturdy wire if handled. Interesting note -
Silver
wires appear on the bottom side of the matrix and this makes me wonder if the wire
extends all the way through the host rock. It's possible but I'd leave the piece as is.
From the Kongsberg Silver Mines, Kongsberg, Buskerud,
Norway.
Measures 7 cm by 3.4 cm by 4.3 cm in size.
Ex. Anton Watzl Sr. Mineral Collection
Comes with a custom made, engraved base
Price $22,500
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Lustrous, silvery-gray crystal cluster
of Stephanite with Calcite on matrix!
VERY impressive example of this late stage Silver
Antimony Sulfosalt which is roughly
about 69% Silver by formula. The crystals appear as flattened hexagonal tables with
an obvious twin visible in the photo on the far left side of the cluster. Crude
looking
dogtooth Calcite crystals surround the cluster and cover most of the host rock matrix.
From the Doloras Mine, Real del Monte, Hidalgo, Mexico.
Measures 5 cm by 4.8 cm by 4 cm in size.
Ex. Manhattanville College Mineral Collection, Purchase,
New York
Price $2500
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Lustrous curling wires of Native
Silver with a slight antique patina!
Very aesthetic specimen featuring numerous winding
wires, twisting their way
upwards from just a small bit of matrix. The old label dates this specimen back
at least 50 years but it is probably much older. A great looking Silver miniature!
From the Himmelsfurst Mine, Freiberg District, Erzgebirge,
Saxony, Germany.
Measures 6.3 cm by 1.8 cm in size.
Ex. Gerald Clark, Revelle Mineral Collections
Comes with an original Staatl.
Mineralien-Niederlage, Freiberg, Sa. label
Price $4250
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EXCEPTIONAL MUSEUM SPECIMEN!!
Tremendous antique plate of super lustrous Pyrargyrite crystals with Calcite on matrix!
One of the finest I've seen from St. Andreasberg and one that has
quite an impressive
provenance as well. The Pyrargyrite crystal grouping is incredibly sharp, undamaged, and
lustrous. It also still displays an amazing amount of red for a specimen of its age! Note
the
reddish color of the crystals in the bottom close up when exposed to a direct light. This
plate
is literally covered from top to bottom with lustrous, shiny Pyrargyrite but it's the main
grouping in the top center which is the main attraction. These large crystals each measure
just shy of 2 cm in size with some 1 cm crystals nearby. I love this specimen and can
highly
recommend it to anyone who is a Silver mineral collector or a collector of very high end
classics!
From St. Andreasberg, Harz Mountains, Lower Saxony, Germany.
Measures 7 cm by 11.3 cm by 8.8 cm in size.
Ex. Geipel Collection (early 1900's), Bally-Prior Museum Collection
in Schönenwerd, Switzerland
Price $17,500
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Scarce specimen of lustrous
Allargentum crystals on sparkling matrix!
Allargentum is a Silver-Antimony mineral
which isn't seen as often as I would like.
This specimen features lustrous, distinct crystals which show well against the drusy-like
matrix. Some of the crystal faces appear "etched" but I think this is only
matrix influence.
From Hartenstein, Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany.
Measures 6.1 cm by 5.4 cm in size.
Price $985
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-9 NEW!
VERY RARE!! Fine specimen of Native Silver
atop Chalcocite from Tsumeb!
Tsumeb Silver specimens are rare enough but this specimen exhibits
nearly 3 cm of
leaf Silver atop the center crystal faces of the grayish Chalcocite!! Also with Quartz.
From the Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Namibia, SW Africa.
Measures 6 cm by 6.7 cm by 4.6 cm in size.
Ex. Uli Bahmann Mineral Collection
Price $2500
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-10 NEW!
Lustrous and quite rare Native Silver Wire
rising up from a matrix vug!
I can tell you right now that I seldom see good matrix wire Silvers from China. This
specimen
leaped out when I saw it in Tucson and I had the matrix trimmed even further to more
centralize
the wire. The wire itself is pretty big, measuring just shy of 5.5 cm from base to tip! I
love the way
it does an "S" curve bend as it pulls away from the Calcite and Acanthite coated
vug and rises
upwards, well above the matrix. The wire is very lustrous with a golden patina and very
attractive.
From Lingqiu County, Datong Prefecture, Shanxi Province of
China.
Measures 7.8 cm by 5.7 cm in size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Price $7500
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NEW FIND! Interesting mix of
Allargentum with Dyscrasite, Schachnerite, and Native Silver!
I cherry picked the group that appeared in Tucson
for the most aesthetic specimens from
this new find and this cute miniature was among the ones chosen. The highly lustrous
crystals spray out towards the left from the center cluster and the entire grouping sits
atop a
matrix of shiny white Calcite. The numerous crystals are somewhat matted but still quite
distinct.
From the Bouismas Mine, Bou Azzer District, Ouarzazate
Province of Morocco.
Measures 4.5 cm by 4.5 cm by 3.8 cm in size.
Price $785
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VERY RARE! Aesthetic specimen of
Luanheite on matrix!
Luanheite is a rare Amalgam of Native Silver and Mercury and Chile is one of the
best locales in the world for fine specimens. Luanheite is normally not very attractive
but this one has great form, good luster, and a wonderful golden patina! It sits atop
a small amount of host matrix. This mineral is roughly 62% Silver and 38% Mercury.
From the Elisa de Bordos deposit, Pabellón, Copiapó
Province, Atacama Region, Chile
Measures 7.5 cm by 3.6 cm in size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Price $3500
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MIN#SILVER-13 NEW!
CLASSIC LOCALITY!! Fine wires and crystals
of Native Silver in Calcitic matrix!
This is part of a small batch of Silvers from recent workings at the old Balcoll Mine.
The Balcoll Mine was worked by the Romans for Silver for decades and is obviously
still loaded with fine specimens. An Acanthite coating darkens some of the wires.
From the Balcoll Mine, Falset, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Measures 5.5 cm by 3.7 cm in size.
Price $850
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MIN#SILVER-15 NEW!
CLASSIC LOCALITY!! Fine crystals, wires,
and dendritics of Native Silver in Calcitic matrix!
This is part of a small batch of Silver with Acanthite from recent workings at the old
Balcoll Mine.
The Balcoll Mine was worked by the Romans for Silver ore for decades and is obviously
still
loaded with fine specimens. This is the best specimen of the lot in terms of sheer crystal
number!
From the Balcoll Mine, Falset, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Measures 3.9 cm by 6 cm by 3 cm in size.
Price $1500
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Exceptional specimen of Native Wire
Silver from China!
Without a doubt, the most aesthetic specimen of
Chinese Silver that I've ever seen
in the miniature size range. The specimen looks like a Silver tree and the thick wire
base actually sits on host rock matrix! I can count the number of Chinese Silvers with
matrix that I've seen on only one hand - they are that rare! The wires sprouting
out from
the center are firm and lustrous, with a beautiful golden patina. Exceptional in every
way!
From Lingqiu County, Shanxi Province of China.
Measures 8 cm by 7.1 cm by 3.2 cm in size.
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Price $12,500
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-17 NEW!
RARE and EXCEPTIONAL!!
Amazing specimen featuring Acanthite crystals nestled between Amethyst points!
This specimen has been in my personal collection for years but I felt it was time to
give it some web exposure. Someone told me years ago that no Silver minerals appear
in crystal form with Amethyst from the Creede localty, but this was obviously incorrect.
I will admit I haven't seen too many of them over the years and this is definately the
best specimen I've come across. The Acanthite crystals are fairly distinct with a slight
secondary growth along some crystal faces. There are also Silver wires scattered about
in association. While the front of the specimen is Amethyst, the backside is all
Acanthite!
From Creede, Mineral County, Colorado.
Measures 8 cm by 5.7 cm in size.
From the Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled base
Price $8500
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Amazing combo featuring Polybasite
crystals atop Calcite with a larger Calcite at top!
This is the kind of specimen that really gets me
excited! A large, gemmy Calcite sitting
atop a matrix of smaller Calcites which are completely covered by Polybasite crystals
in varying sizes! I love combination specimens but to find one of this size with so
many
Polybasites (there must be hundreds of them!) is rare indeed. The largest Polybasite
is very lustrous and can be seen at 4 o'clock in the photo. It measures 1.3 cm in size!
From Guanajuato, Guanajuato (GTO) , Mexico.
Measures 7 cm by 8.3 cm in size with a 4 cm Calcite!
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal
Collection
Price $4500
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MIN#SILVER-19 NEW!
CLASSIC LOCALITY!! Fine wires and crystals
of Native Silver in Calcitic matrix!
This is part of a small batch of Silvers from recent workings at the old Balcoll Mine.
The Balcoll Mine was worked by the Romans for Silver for decades and is obviously
still loaded with fine specimens. An Acanthite coating darkens some of the wires.
From the Balcoll Mine, Falset, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.
Measures 4.5 cm by 3.5 cm in size.
Price $785
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-20 NEW!
RARE CLASSIC! Sharp crystals of Native
Silver atop Calcite from the Kongsberg Mine!
This Silver crystals boast a gorgeous antique patina and the Calcite is nearly complete
and lustrous. It's also
quite translucent. Crystallized Silver is much more rare from Kongsberg than the wires the
locale is famous for!
This specimen was exchanged from the Rome Museum mineral collection some years ago by
Giancarlo
Parodi, where it was listed it as having been from the Struve collection and mined in
circa 1870.
From the Kongsberg Silver Mines, Kongsberg, Buskerud, Norway.
Miniatures 3.4 cm by 3.2 cm by 2.5 cm.
Circa 1870 - Ex. Struve, Museum of Rome Collections
Price $4500
 Photo by Joe Budd |
Amazing specimen featuring a large 1
inch Native Silver spinel on Calcite!
There are numerous spinel twins scattered all over
the white Calcitic matrix. This is one
of the most impressive Batopilas Silvers I've seen or owned and I'm happy to be able to
offer it in this update. The entire specimen is crystalline with a beautiful antiquish
patina.
From Batopilas, Andres del Rio District, Mun. de Batopilas,
Chihuahua, Mexico.
Measures 6 cm by 4.9 cm in size.
Ex. Richard Heck, Bergmann Mineral Collections
Currently in the Kevin Ward Personal Collection
Price $6500
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RARE! Golden dendritics of Nickeline
with Acanthite in host matrix from Cobalt!
This is one impressive mineral plate and is eye
candy for a Silver collector like myself. The Acanthite
crystals are the more angular gray crystals on the right side of the plate while
the Nickeline portion
appears as golden dendrites on the left side of the plate. Nickeline was once confused for
a Copper
ore and was actually called Copper Nickel (kupfernickel) by German miners in the 19th
century.
However it's actually a mixture of Nickel and Arsenic (NiAs) and contains no Copper or
Silver.
It's a scarcer mineral from the Cobalt region and frequently appears with Acanthite or
Silver ore.
There's an old $25.00 price label on the bottom side of the specimen with the collection
number 245.
This is one of the most impressive plates I've seen in terms of both size and aesthetics.
Circa early 1900's - From the Cobalt area, Cobalt-Gowganda
region, Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada.
Measures 8.2 cm by 17.4 cm by 2.1 cm in size. Quite heavy as well!
Ex. Whitmore Mineral Collection
Currently in the Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Price $2500
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MIN#SILVER-23 NEW!
RARE and UNIQUE!! Superb plate featuring
very sharp crystals of Pyrargyrite with Stilbite on Calcite!
I've never seen a Silver Sulfide mineral with Stilbite before but here it is! The bottom
close-up photo
displays the glassy and quite gemmy crystal blades of golden Stilbite which actually
appear in several
locations atop the Calcite surface. The middle close-up photo shows the incredible
sharpness and luster
of each Pyrargyrite crystal. They range in size from 1 to .5 cms and cover nearly half the
matrix surface.
From the Samson Mine, St. Andreasberg, Harz, Germany.
Measures 14 cm by 17 cm by 5.3 cm in size.
Ex. Franz Hafliger, W. Maucher, Hoppe Mineral
Collections
Currently in the Kevin Ward Collection
Price $17,500
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-24 NEW!
Cobalt Silver!! Fine dendritic growths of
Native Silver in and on matrix!
I actually visited Cobalt this past summer and did some exploring and photo taking
in this historic mining town. While most of the headframes appear to be intact, they
aren't
being protected very well and with the constant exposure to the elements, who knows how
long they'll remain in place. Cobalt was once a major Silver mining district and specimens
like this one are highly prized by myself and other Silver collectors. Impressive and
heavy!
From the Cobalt Mining District, Ontario, Canada.
Measures 5.5 cm by 6.4 cm by 5.7 cm in size.
Ex. Charles Leavitt Mineral Collection
Currently in the Kevin Ward Silver Collection
Price $4500
 Photo by Joe Budd |
MIN#SILVER-25 NEW!
EXCEPTIONAL CLASSIC!! Lustrous pyramidal crystal clusters of Acanthite
with Native Silver wires!
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MIN#SILVER-26 Sold!
The Finest Proustite specimen I've ever
seen from Morocco!
Proustite from Morocco usually appears as small, isolated crystals with decent red color
on matrix.
I've never seen anything that comes close to the size and color of these large clusters!
The specimen
is fairly heavy with large crystal balls of Proustite all over the matrix - both front and
back. I said three
years ago that one day I might see a better Moroccan Prousite specimen come to market but
today I
can honestly tell you that I still haven't seen anything that comes close to the quality
of this piece.
This is the second time I've owned this fine specimen and I'm
thrilled to offer it again to a new collector!
From the Imiter Mine, Ouarzazate Province, Morocco.
Measures 8.8 cm by 7.2 cm by 5.3 cm in size.
Ex. Kevin Ward Mineral Collection
Price $12,500
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MIN#SILVER-27 NEW!
CLASSIC! Amazing specimen featuring
Pyrargyrite crystals draped atop Calcite rhombs!
From the Samson Mine, St. Andreasberg, Harz, Germany.
Measures 3.5 cm by 6.6 cm by 4.4 cm in size.
Circa late 1800's - Ex. Franz Hafliger, W. Maucher Collections
Complete with both original labels!
Kevin Ward Personal Silver Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled base.
Price $12,500
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MIN#SILVER-29 NEW!
From my personal Silver Collection!
Very rare combination of Native Silver crystals on
olive-green Chlorargyrite crystals!
Both sit atop a matrix of Limonite. This is the only specimen of this combination that
I've
ever seen and I know them to be extremely rare. The flash and aesthetics of this specimen
are spectacular but when you look at the surface using a 10X glass, you literally see
hundreds of fine Silver crystals mixed with thin Silver wires atop very sharp, translucent
green crystals of Chlorargyite! The specimen is a Silver collector's dream! It comes from
the Broken Hill Mine in New South Wales, Australia. Measures 5.2 cm by 7.5 cm in size.
I've had many Silver specimens in my collection and this one easily ranks among the
finest.
Ex. Albert Chapman collection.
Kevin Ward Personal Silver Collection
Comes with a custom made, labeled base.
Price $35,000
Continue on through to Silver Room 2 for additional specimens!
Tourmalines | Gold Room | Rhodochrosites | Beryl Room | Elmwood | Exceptional Minerals
