California Borate Minerals – July 22

This fine suite of California borate minerals took this writer fifteen years to assemble. There is a fine tunellite from early finds, and a recent example as well. From the Merrill collection is a unique kernite crystal, one of very few known to exist. There is a rare gowerite and two fine nobleite specimens.  A fine colemanite and celestine combination from Death Valley is especially aesthetic, and quite colorful for a borate mineral specimen. For more background on California borate mining, you may read the engaging history by  ver Planck (1956).

This gallery contains 24 specimens.