Bonhams “Gems, Minerals, Lapidary Works of Art and Natural History”

Mounted Juvenile Tenontosaurus Skeleton. Est. US$ 150,000 - 180,000. Did not meet reserve.

The 431 lot Bonhams auction included mammal, dinosaur and plant fossils; loose and rare faceted gemstones; lapidary carvings by German masters; jewelry; amber; petrified wood; meteorites; gold nuggets; and rare, natural pearls. The auction took place on May 20, 2014 in Los Angeles.

Massive Ruby Crystal in Zoisite - The Largest Ruby Crystal (over 100 lbs) to be offered at public auction. US$ 100,000 - 150,000. Did not meet reserve.

Ruby scale-model of a dragster. Carved by designer Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio from solid panels of ruby, the model is detailed with obsidian tires, a gold vermeil engine and a polished rock crystal windshield. The dragster is estimated to bring $150,000-200,000. Sold for US$ 146,500 A vivid green color and large size of 6.83 carats propel this gemstone beyond any other demantoid garnet seen in the marketplace. US$ 130,000 - 180,000. Sold for US$ 125,000

On sale is a collection of 27 rhodochrosites, commonly known as “red gold,” ranging in hue from a light rosy color to the rare cherry-red shade. The group is expected to fetch between $200,000 and $250,000. Reserve not met, sold individually. The rhodochrosites were mined from the Kalahari Manganese Field in South Africa, representing a collection gathered over many years from a region that is no longer producing.

Chrysoberyl alexandrites are a rare gemstone. The stone has a unique color-change alternating from yellowish green changing to brownish yellow. 29.97 carats. US$ 100,000 - 120,000. Sold for US$ 137,000 Entirely carved from a single crystal of multi-color Brazilian tourmaline with hues of rare blue, purple, green, yellow and near-colorless. US$ 80,000 - 110,000. Sold for US$ 137,000

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Rhodochrosite on Manganite

Rhodochrosite

Scheelite

The iconic lead statuette of the Maltese Falcon from the 1941 film of the same name. One of two known cast lead statuettes created for use in John Huston's screen version of The Maltese Falcon, the "bent tail feather" bird, and THE ONLY STATUETTE CONFIRMED BY WARNER BROS. ARCHIVES AS HAVING APPEARED ON SCREEN. It sold for US$ 4,085,000.