Green Mountain Minerals was delighted to debut crystallized gold from the Valentine Pocket at the Eagle’s Nest Mine this year at the Tucson show, and we're just as thrilled to now share them with our wider community of collectors online.
California has long been an important source for specimens of Native Gold, and in California, the Eagle’s Nest Mine is one of the preeminent localities for the finest specimens of crystallized Native Gold on matrix. The mine has been in operation since the 1860s but, as is the nature of lode-gold exploration, sizable discoveries have only rarely occurred. The mine had been inactive for several years as a result of non-compliance with regulatory requirements when it was acquired by Fine Minerals International in 2018. Mining resumed when the regulatory issues were resolved, with specimen mining recommencing in 2023.
Within the mine, gold occurs in very irregularly distributed zones within narrow quartz veins averaging five centimeters in thickness that are nearly horizontal, running at intervals through the host rock. In general, the quartz is massive, though small pockets lined with quartz crystals are occasionally found, and even more rarely they have “free growing” gold. These veins define the “levels” within the mine, and exploration proceeds by tunneling horizontally to expose the veins in the floor of the level. In the majority of cases where it is not free-growing into cavities, gold is initially detected in the quartz by using metal detectors, and the precise distribution of gold hidden within is refined using x-rays. Specimens are prepped using hydrofluoric acid to etch the quartz matrix, and microhammers for precision trimming to best reveal the beauty of these specimens.
The ”Valentine Pocket” was revealed on February 14, 2024, when miners working on the 200-foot level unearthed what may be the largest and finest discovery in the history of the Eagle’s Nest. It represented for Fine Minerals International the culmination of many years of refining the geological models for gold occurrence, a great deal of hard physical work, and substantial financial investment.
Green Mountain Minerals was able to acquire the entire output of the find, comprising over one hundred exquisite specimens ranging from thumbnail to full cabinet size, many on matrix, and we are privileged to offer these extraordinary specimens to the mineral collecting community.
8.5 X 5 X 3.5 cm | #03097
An exceptional example of Native Gold on matrix from the Valentine Pocket. The Gold comprises highly lustrous dendritic forms and flattened octahedral crystals, which are exceptionally well developed on the left side of the specimen. In the central part of the matrix there is a recessed area where the pyramidal terminations of several quartz crystals are seen, up to 1cm in size. It checks all the Eagle’s Nest boxes; on a scale of one to ten it is an eleven!
SOLD
3.0 x 2.6 x 0.5cm | #03136
This thumbnail specimen was the only piece from the find made up entirely of exceptionally well-formed gold crystals. The surfaces are planar, with mirror lustre, and have edges so straight and sharp they look as if they were cut using a stencil, rather than naturally-formed crystals growing in hydrothermal fluids, with the triangular forms and 60-degree angles indicative of the flattened octahedral form. This is one piece from the find that we just had to give a name once we saw this image... it is so clearly a clarinet-playing goblin tip-toeing across the stage!
SOLD
3 x 2.5 x 0.6cm | #03072
Imagine a photograph of a flickering flame, frozen in time, and you have this specimen of Gold. It is very simple in form, comprising leaf Gold, with a few subtle trigonal faces developed in the middle of the piece. The gentle undulations in its softly lustrous surface reflect light in many gradations of brightness and tone, making for a beautiful miniature sculpture.
SOLD
2.8 x 2.1 x 1.1 cm | #03122
This piece could be simply described as “a lovely grouping of lustrous arborescent crystals of Native Gold." But that would be to ignore the poetry in frozen motion that nature has gifted us with in this specimen, in this case a human figure, blissfully dancing as if nobody is watching. So while we could indeed describe the physical geometry, labeling her “Terpsichore” conveys so much more about what the piece conveys.
$2,500
7 x 6 x 1cm | #03058
This small cabinet specimen has two groups of arborescent crystal groups perched leaning towards each other on a Quartz matrix. Any sailing enthusiast is likely to see a sloop; that is, a boat with two sails, with the smaller jib leading in front of the larger mainsail. Overall then, this is a shipshape, very fine and balanced matrix Gold.
SOLD
4.4 x 2.5 x 1.0 cm | #03051
The word “arborescent” is often used in description of a variety of mineral species and crystal shapes that are reminiscent of the form of a tree. This array of flattened octahedra does not suggest delicate tree branches as much as a sturdy triangular Fir Tree festooned with Christmas decorations. It is unsurpassed as a miniature specimen of Native Gold.
SOLD
1.5 x 1.4 x 0.3 cm | #03083
This thumbnail size specimen of Native Gold from the Valentine Pocket is unusual in that the crystals are rather more three-dimensional than most of the crystallized specimens, where the octahedra are severely flattened. In this piece, the exceptionally well-developed central octahedron displays several sharp mirrored faces, and is surrounded by more rounded crystals that look for all the world as if they were slightly melted.
$2,500
6.3 x 4.2 x 2.5 cm | #03100
Looking like thunderbolts striking a mountaintop, these crystals of Native Gold consist of flattened octahedra at the top end, and in the middle a beautiful spread of herringbone crystals resting on the matrix. It is a particularly striking and dramatic formation.
SOLD
5.0 x 4.0 x 3.4cm | #03101
This Native Gold on matrix has several feathery sprays of lustrous arborescent crystals and herringbone clusters. The gold is carefully balanced on the quartz matrix, which makes a perfect textural contrast against which the delicacy of gold can be truly appreciated. This is another piece begging for an anthropomorphic label... is it a praying mantis sizing up its lunch, or a bustled-and-bonneted Victorian lady with a bouquet of ferns?
$55,000
8.5 x 7 x5 cm | #03141
Although in simplistic measurement this is a small cabinet size specimen, it has a weight and presence that is so very much not small! It comprises a densely packed cluster of arborescent crystals of Native Gold in two prominent groups perched on a small chunk of matrix. There is a large amount of gold here, and it is superbly crystallized, lustrous, and magnificent.
SOLD
2.5 x 2.5 x 0.3 cm | #03192
This thumbnail size specimen features extraordinary crystal structure, with intricate, perfect herringbone forms present throughout the entire piece. The pattern is so regular and symmetrical that it resembles a printed circuit board. This is not merely a competition-quality thumbnail: we have no doubt that one day it will be a competition champion!
$5,500
7.5 x 4.5 x 3.3 cm | #03095
This Native Gold specimen differs from many from the Valentine Pocket in that it is quite three-dimensional: in most cases the golds crystallized largely in one plane. Here an array of dendritic gold drapes over and around the white quartz matrix. The crystallization is particularly impressive in the upper part of the specimen, where large flattened octahedra are up to 1.8 cm in size with spectacular brilliant luster. The graceful three-dimensionality of the piece offers the potential for a number of display angles, each perspective revealing beautiful and fascinating geometries. A substantial gold, which would be the centerpiece of any case!
$125,000
4.2 x 2.0 x 0.6cm | #03118
The variety of forms exhibited by specimens from the Valentine Pocket is extraordinary, and this toenail-sized specimen of Native Gold is one of the few examples of the least common form: that of leaf Gold. It is a gracefully curved sheet of Gold with high luster and almost no individual crystal faces, flattened octahedra, or dendrites. Its rounded contours are a lovely counterpoint to the sharp angular forms seen in other pieces from this find.
$4,500
9.0 x 5.0 x 3.8 cm | #03099
This small-cabinet-size piece of Native Gold on Quartz shows two distinctly different modes of crystallization. The upper two-thirds above the Quartz matrix has dendritic arborescent sprays of crystals. At the bottom there is a lovely confluent fan of dendritic crystals spreading over the white Quartz matrix. Overall the piece reminds us of the “Little Mermaid” statue perched on her rock in the Copenhagen harbor. The piece comes with a clutch mount base, enhancing the elegance of the display.
$45,000
3.0 x 2.4 x 0.6 | #03112
A teardrop-shaped crystallized Gold specimen that is a floater, comprising finely-formed arborescent crystals densely packed into a positive “boxbuster” thumbnail. The crystals have highest luster combined with very organized geometric forms, giving this relatively small specimen substantial visual impact. The piece can be displayed from either side, as both front and back look equally fabulous.
$9,000
1.7x 1.6x 1.0 cm | #03116
This small floater is an excellent example of the high degree of crystal perfection that can be achieved with a thumbnail specimen. The piece is dominated by a single flattened teardrop octahedron about 1.5 cm in width, surrounded by several smaller flattened crystals. A fine illustration of the old adage that “Good things do indeed come in small packages”.
$5,500
11.6 x 6.8 x 4.5cm | #03098
This cabinet-size Native Gold on matrix is a quintessential example of what an Eagle’s Nest specimen should be. The white Quartz matrix is shot through with veins of Gold, and perched upon it is a stacked array of finely crystallized dendritic formations. Capping it off there are several large individual flattened octahedra, highly lustrous and sharp. A tall and statuesque piece, it would be the center of attention in even the finest collection.
$250,000
3.5 x 1.4 x 0.5 cm | #03119
This toenail-sized specimen is a sheet of flattened octahedra, with many triangular crystal faces that almost appear to have been “stamped into” the surface of the piece. These complex geometric patterns are emphasized by the sparkly luster, which encourages one to make a closer examination of these fine aesthetic details.
$7,500
8.4 x 3.7 x 1.7 cm | #03137
This small cabinet size specimen has a piece of unetched Quartz matrix at the bottom that is shot through with veins of Native Gold. Rising up from this matrix like the plume of flame from an ascending rocket is a densely-packed strip of flattened octahedra 7 cm high by 1.5 to 2 cm wide, flaring out wider at the base. The crystals are highly lustrous, and the piece stands up nicely for display in its custom-made clutch mount base.
$35,000
5.5 x 4.1 x 1.1 cm | #03062
This miniature-sized specimen is a beautiful aggregate of arborescent, highly lustrous crystals of Native Gold. The overall piece is roughly diamond shaped, and its bilateral symmetry is a significant enhancement to its overall aesthetics.
$30,000
9 x 6.5 x 1.5 cm | #03195
This Native Gold on Quartz matrix is made up of highly lustrous arborescent crystals in an array of triangular forms. The top of the specimen has crystals that are especially well-formed and esthetic. It comes with a clutch mount for optimum display, which enhances its already fabulous aesthetic appeal.
$35,000
6.0 x 3.6 x 2.5 cm | #03139
This miniature-size specimen of Native Gold sits on a triangular chunk of white Quartz matrix that has a flat bottom, and serves as a natural base for the specimen. A feathery plume of highly lustrous crystals grows up off this matrix plinth, and coming off this are two branches of arborescent crystals that point up and away from each other.
$15,000
3.5 x 2.9 x 1.1cm | #03111
This floater specimen is toenail-sized. The dendritic crystals are well-formed and highly lustrous. The overall shape is also very nice, resembling a cornucopia with a fringe of gold crystals bursting forth from the top. It is quite thick and sturdy, making for a really fine display quality piece.
$17,500
6 x 3.5 x 2.6 cm | #03186
This miniature-sized Native Gold on matrix consists of multiple gracefully curved fans of dendritic crystals intermingling above a chunk of white Quartz matrix. Some of the crystals form herringbone patterns, all are highly lustrous. Because of the curves of the crystals, thepiece is quite three dimensional, interesting from many angles.
$22,500