I just returned from a few weeks driving through a lot of Peru and I picked up some nice minerals along the way and figured I’d share if anyone is interested. Peru not be at the level of Brazil when it comes to exotic minerals, but they have some really nice ones. I got them form tiny, roadside market stalls, and didn’t bother asking what they were (my Spanish is sub-Kindergarden level), but many are sort of proto-typical endemic Peruvian stones, eg the big opal, the brown/black obsidians, the calcites/fluorites, the pyrite, and the hot pink agate. Pics don’t do them justice, they are quite cool, IMHO.
The small, flat ones with the holes are, I’m pretty sure, a form of ancient shell money, which was pretty widespread, interestingly not only in the Americas, but also the Levant, Oceana, and many other regions. Usually such shell money, where not cowrie or other types from the Maldives, were flat and pierced like this, made from abalone or other sea shells. I’m guessing on this, of course, but I have some examples from the Levant that I know are authentic bases on source/provenance, and they are quite identical, but made from what are probably mediterranean or Red Sea shells. Kinda interesting to me, Peru is a super ancient and highly important place in human history (with killer food) and I’m sort happy I had the opportunity to visit.
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Win, loose, or draw, on the items you obtained. As long as you had an enjoyable trip, that’s all that counts. I would love to visit Brazil, Peru, and (Burma) Myanmar. Just to look at the stones that come from those places.
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They are beautiful… Thanks for sharing…
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They are awesome. I’m sure the pictures don’t do
justice at all. I’m a gem cutter and love the piece in the second picture. I would be willing to cut you something out of it in exchange for the opportunity to cut something for myself also. I’m in SW Ohio and it would be a couple months before I could get finished with them if you are interested so no hurry. I would also be interested in purchasing the piece or one of the same material but smaller. Either way awesome stones and great food and a good time you had sounds like the trifecta to me!! Congratulations!!!
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I hope you have the opportunity to travel to that region, it’s quite amazing. I wish I had more time, but inshallah, I’ll visit again!
Wow, such a kind offer! Are you referring to the big opal (I tested and it’s def opal)? I don’t know if I want to break that one up, but I got another one that is, IMHO, equally beautiful, but still in a matrix (a little smaller, but not by much, they are both huge by my standards (the one in the pic is 583 carats!). I really love the suggestion, it seems like such a great arrangement all around, and if interested, I travel a lot and always pick up minerals when I can, so I have a ton more I’ve always wanted to have cut/worked (some killer rough Ethiopian opals and a bunch of rough corundums and other goodies). Now that you mentioned the idea, it seems like something more people should do, and so I figured I’d reply on this thread versus PM to second your suggestion. No pressure, but if this is something you want to do, PM me and we can trade pics and work out details. Thanks again!
