Colorful Easter Eggs

Gemstone minerals represent some of the most captivating art forms that nature offers. The larger mineral specimens are best for viewing the unique patterns and inclusions that each mineral bears.

Opaque gems look wonderful set into jewelry, but often their smaller size minimizes the magnificent designs that occurred as a result of their formation.

Did you know that now defunct mines in various parts of the world produced gem minerals with such distinctive patterns that they have never been duplicated at other deposits? That's what the wonder of nature means!

The basket full of rare egg sized precious minerals shown here include Brazilian opal, amber, lapis lazuli, amethyst, chrysoberyl, jaspers and agates from deposits and mines now long closed.

Bonhams New York will auction this marvelous collection of 850 carved minerals this spring in their Natural History auction. Pre-auction estimates value the lot at between $150,000 to $200,00US.

Happy Hunting!

Image Courtesy: Bonhams & Butterfields Los Angeles