The galena specimens with schalenblende come from this little-known lead-zinc mine, discovered in 1984 and now closed. Clusters of galena cubes, their vertices truncated by small octahedral faces and with polysynthetic growths on the faces, cluster aesthetically on the mammillary schalenblende matrix. Schalenblende is a compact, fine-grained, medium-brown to yellow or cream-colored variety of sphalerite, occurring in concentric layers with kidney-shaped surfaces that may also contain intercalated wurtzite, marcasite, pyrite, and galena. Many of them were sold by Rob Sielecki, a prominent Australian dealer.

The Yinnietharra dravite crystals are a classic of world mineralogy. Nowadays they are not common and can only be obtained from old collections that were lucky enough to be formed when the mines were worked. This specimen shows us a good group of doubly terminated dravite crystals, with very defined faces and edges, shiny and with the characteristic toasted honey color. They are accompanied by muscovite. An AMAZING specimen!!!

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Fibrous aggregates of malachite, very characteristic of this mine. They are accompanied by small yellow wulfenite crystals. They are disposed on a goethite matrix. A rarity on the market. With a rare vintage label by Olivier Szentessy (Genève, Switzerland).

Petalite is one of those minerals that today are in the sights of mining companies since it is an aluminum and lithium silicate, lithium is an essential element for the manufacture of batteries. A exfoliated very good size and shiny specimen.

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In this specimen we can observe cookeite in pink tones. It is associated with eucryptite, a rare lithium aluminosilicate, and quartz. Eucriptite-quartz pseudomorphs were first discovered at this Australian mine in 1963, they are pale pink and, more rarely, dark glassy brown in color, and fluoresce reddish under shortwave ultraviolet light. Eucryptite is in the area indicated by the arrow.

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Dravite crystals of Yinnietharra are a classic of the world mineralogy. Today, they can only be obtained from old collections that were fortunate enough to be formed when the mines were worked. This specimen shows us a group of doubly terminated dravite crystals, with very well defined faces and edges, bright and with the characteristic color of toasted honey. They are accompanied by muscovite.
Mining for muscovite used in the electrical industry occurred on Yinnietharra station at several sites between 1922 and 1946, beryl and columbite from 1942 to 1965, and gem specimen mining after this till around 1990. Minor rare earth, uranium bearing and lithium minerals are present but have never been mined to any extent. No mining on the field has been large scale.

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Specimens from this Australian mine are unusual today. In this sample we have a group of azurite crystals pseudomorphized by malachite, preserving very well defined faces and edges. They are disposed on a goethite matrix partially coated with malachite, chrysocolla and small yellow crystals of wulfenite.

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