Here are some photos of classics from the Robert and Nan Smith collection.
Note that my labels are 2 inches wide for size reference.
Leonard Himes Dealer in Fine Mineral Specimens
Specimen Galleries
My galleries show specimens that are currently available for purchase.
I advertise regularly in Rocks & Minerals and sometimes in the The Mineralogical Record and other publications. My ads show either exceptional specimens from my inventory or excellent specimens that coordinate with articles in the current issue. Please support these journals with your subscription, if you don't already. It will enhance your mineral knowledge. You can contact them at www.tandfonline.com/vram and www.MineralogicalRecord.org. I know that most serious collectors take the MR but I'm surprised at how many do not subscribe to R&M. If you haven't for a while, you should give it another look, over the past decades it has become a very good publication, frequently rivaling the MR for content and it is often more readable for non-scientists. Let me know if my encouragement caused you to subscribe and I'll credit you with your first-year subscription amount on your next mineral specimen purchase of over $200.
Here are my recent and current Rocks and Minerals ads. The featured specimens were available at the time the ad was submitted. However, specimens often sell prior to the magazine's publication due to the long lead time for ad submissions.
But, it never hurts to ask if they are still available. Predicting when a specimen will sell is impossible!
Note that because ads must be submitted months in advance, show information might have changed.
Matrix Silver Leaf. Wire Silver mass Erythrite vugs in Silver
I have a nice lot of Chrysoberyl, variety Alexandrite, from Zimbabwe. Most are sharp thumbnail sixlings but there are a few miniatures. Their first public outing was in Tucson where thumbnail collectors grabbed several. I'll have more in Plano, though. They show nice color change and some translucency. We have also added Alexandrites fro Brazil that are associated with emeralds.
On the left are photos of a large thumbnail and on the right is a miniature and a close-up of its top.
The pairs are show the color change in LED white and Tungsten light.
We were so busy in Tucson with our (too) many locations that we had very little time to shop. The one day Cal and I were able out, we found a Brazilian emerald miner who had encountered a small area of Alexandites in his mine. We purchased all he had! They required a lot of specialized cleaning, but they are ready now and will premier in Plano. There is even a small-cabinet specimen with embedded emerald crystals. I'll post some photos soon.
Something a bit different has shown up too. Hyalite Opal (now properly labeled Opal-AN) from world localities has been around for years, I even collected in in North Carolina as a begging dealer! Last year fine examples were found again in Mexico and I had the opportunity to high-grade a superior lot.. Fluorescent minerals were part of the TGMS Show theme this year. Below are two photos of the same specimen in SW UV and Daylight with my hand for size reference. The specimens are rosettes and cups of transparent colorless opal on chalcedony. I have miniature to cabinet-size specimens that are fine in their own right, but also have wonderful fluorescence. Some are on display at the Tucson Fine Mineral Gallery but I'll also have some at my Spring shows.
A preview of something new. Sure, you've seen
Aquamarines from Pakistan before, but these are newly mined and have nice mica associations. What is special is that some are really big, like the 5 inch tall one on the left. You'll see these in Tucson mounted on Sunnywood bases, some at each retail show.
American locality specimens are my favorites. I was working in my storage areas and came a cross the remains (pretty nice ones) of a large purchase Cal and I made when the Philadelphia Academy collection was disbursed. Here are some of the classic pieces we have for sale. These are excellent quality and very hard to come by, particularly with he museums display labels. I remind you that my labels are 2 inches wide at the borders, for a size reference.
Mar-Apr 2023 May-June 2023
Contact me directly to learn more about available specimens. I have many more specimens than can be shown here, so if you are seeking something in particular, ask. I often have other specimens of the species shown, but in different sizes and prices. I enjoy getting to know my customers and believe that learning about you and your collection will help me find specimens that will enhance your collection.
I accept PayPal, credit cards, and checks on US banks. Payment is required prior to shipping. Insured shipping within the US is free. Prompt insured returns of unaltered specimens (at your expense) will result in full immediate refunds. Due to current transportation problems, we are not shipping out of North America at this time.
Cabinet specimens are larger than fit into a 5-inch cube. Small cabinets (s-cab) are under the 5-inch cube but larger than miniature. Miniatures (min) fit within a 2-inch cube, Toenails fit within a 1.5-inch cube, and Thumbnails (TN) fit within a 1-inch cube.
Many of my best specimens come with custom bases by The Sunnywood Collection, the industry standard. For information about having your collection mounted contact them at www.sunnywood.com
Opal-AN (Hyalite Opal) from near Rio Verde, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
It seems to be raining Silver.
Between the two Tucson 'shows' of 2021, I acquired unusual specimens from the area of early 1900s silver mines from the McMillanville, AZ area. No specimens from this area had come to market since the 1930s, with the exception of three 'nuggets' (up to 400 pounds!) found recently and now on loan to the new U of AZ's Norville museum in Tucson. I was pleased to be able to place many of my specimens with Arizona collectors and other native element lovers. I still have some nice ones from thumbnail to small cabinet sizes.
As I was wondering how to follow that act, I received a message from a dealer friend in Canada that he had acquired many fine silver specimens from a Canadian collector. Of course, I proceeded to purchase them. I've had Canadian silvers before and even collected one in Cobalt, Ontario decades ago, but I have never had such a selection, particularly with matrix, associations and detailed labels. Here are a few images of some of them. I've sold some but there ares till fine pieces including those below. The majority of theses will be at my Mineral City room (see my shows page). along with other worldwide silvers. A few choice ones will be at the Tucson Fine Mineral Gallery.