The discreet Rainbow of Africa Museum, located in the English countryside outside London, gave the curators from the USA Heritage Auctions the surprise of their lives when they witnessed the quality and uniqueness of this substantial collection. The African themed Museum of Warren and Di Taylor, located in the basement was filled with cabinets displaying a mind boggling collection of rare African gems. These were amassed over a span of 50 years and three generations, sourced from all corners of Africa, stretching from Namibia across to Madagascar, up to Morocco and down to S.Africa.
Warren Taylor first began collecting with his father, Morton Taylor, and eventually refined his focus on a diversity of colours and exotic gem crystals. The whole collection of around 345 gems will be presented for auction in New York on October 15, 2015, with the original Rainbow Museum being recreated with the original cabinets.
I’m showcasing the gems which are in their natural uncut formation because I’m fascinated by the instrinsic sculptural textures, colours and forms of these rare gems. Included are some sculptures crafted from combining gemstones, some faceted pieces and other gems from outside of Africa.
Gem collection – Rainbow Of Africa
Link to full collection here
Smithsonite on Mimetite – Tsumeb Mine, Namibia
Very Rare Gemstone – Cerussite – 430.21 Carat.. Kombat Mine,
Namibia, Africa
‘Azurite. Easter Pocket’ 1994, Tsumeb Mine, Namibia.
Calcite ‘Flower’ – Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia.
5.2 x 5.1 x 3.4 inches
Labradorite – Madagascar
height 6 inches
‘Exotic Desert Plants’ – Lapidary Art – crafted in Namibia.
Bicolor Fluorite –193.86-Carat.. Garuzo, Manica, Mozambique
Liddicoatite. Sahatany Pegmatite Field, Vakinankaratra Region, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar
3.4 x 1.5 x 2.4 inches
Calcite – Tsumeb Mine, Tsumeb, Otjikoto Region, Namibia
Rainbow of Africa Collection
Dioptase & Calcite – gem crystals, Namibia.
4.1 x 3.5 x 2.3 inches
Mimetite Epimorph on Cerussite, Namibia, Africa
2.7 x 2.1 x 1.4 inches
Cuproadamite – Namibia, Africa
Rhodochrosite Northern Cape Province, South Africa
Scheelite -Khomas Region, Namibia, Africa
3.1-x-2.6-x-2 inches
Rhodochrosite, South Africa
Tiger’s Eye Horses . Artist Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio. Stone source South Africa
Cuprosmithsonite Epimorph on Tennantite – Namibia, Africa
Rare Gemstone – Pezzotaite – 9.81 Carat
Ambatovita, Madagascar
Vanadinite on Baryte. Midelt, Khénifra Province, Meknès-Tafilalet Region,, Morocco.
View whole Rainbow Of Africa Collection
2015 October 4th – Nature & Science Signature Auction – Dallas
See Nature & Science Collection here
Apophyllite on Stilbite – Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra, India
Amethyst Heart – Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Ametrine Dragon Sculpture . -Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio. Stone -Bolivia & Brazil.
Tiger Iron Bowl – Mt. Brockman Station, Pilbara, Western Australia
9.0-x-7.8-x-3 inches
Chalcopyrite on Quartz – Jiangxi Province, China.
Malachite on Native Copper – Malachite ‘Mushroom’
Arizona, USA
‘Tiger Iron Natural Slab’ – Pilbara, Western Australia.
33.0 x 29.0 x 1.0 inches
‘Tiger’s Eye Sphere’ – Pilbara, Western Australia
6.4 inches diameter
‘Violin Frog’ by Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio
Stone source – Russia
Sphalerite and Quartz – Hunan Province China
Azurite -Bisbee, Arizona, USA
Baryte on Orpiment – Nevada, USA
Azurite – Arizona, USA
Blue Mauve Star Sapphire – 10.76 Carat .. Sri Lanka.
Chalcopyrite on Calcite – Hubei Province, China
Fluorite, baryte, sphalerite, calcite – Tennessee, USA
Fluorite on Quartz – Guangdong Provence, China
Lapis Lazuli Sculpture – Afghanistan
Linarite – New Mexico, USA
Amethyst & Rose Quartz Macaws on Tourmaline & Albite Base. – Peter Müller
‘Twist’ – Morrisonite and Jasper- Sculptor –sculpted by Perry Brent Davis
Green Fluorite on Quartz – Ganzhou Prefecture, Jianxi Province, China
‘Malachite on Native Copper’ – Bisbee, Arizona, USA
7.8 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches
Gold on Quartz – California, USA
Apophyllite with Stilbite natural crystal – Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India.
‘Celestine’ – Newport, Michigan, USA
Polished ‘Gem’ Red Dinosaur Bone Slab. Jurassic, Morrison Formation
Utah, USA
Plumbogummite & Pyromorphite – -Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Rhodochrosite – Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Selenite. Pernatty Lagoon, Mt. Gunson, South Australia
Tektite – Libyan Desert Glass – Western Desert, Egypt
Rhodochrosite Cockatoo on Tourmaline & Quartz Base – Peter Müller.
Stone – Argentina & Brazil.
‘Sonora Sunset’ Sculpture – Milpillas Mine, Sonora, Mexico.
12.3-x-8.3-x-4 inches
” Big Beauty” – Tourmaline with Quartz & Aldite on Lepidolite
2006 – São José da Sa, Brazil
11.0-x-7.8-x-11 inches
Wulfenite – Xinjiang – Autonomous Region, China
Large Quartz Agate Tabletop – Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
23.7-x-23.2-x-1 inches
Crystal King Quartz – 8510 carats
Museum Victoria
Alex Amess selected a 14-kilogram crystal, 25 centimetres high clear quartz crystal from the Crystal King Mine near Tallangalook in the Strathbogie Ranges of Victoria, Australia to work on. Setting all the facet angles by eye rather than machine was painstaking work, with the cutting and polishing taking 200 hours over three and a half months.
Shattuckite Octagonal Box by Konstantin Libman