Bill & Carol Smith Collection Bill and Carol Smith amassed a quite comprehensive suite of Pakistani minerals over the years picking up unusual species and habits of common minerals whenever they could. They were always quick to visit Dudley Blauwet of Mountain Minerals (their primary source) when he returned from buying trips to Pakistan in hopes of picking up another unusual specimen for the suite.

It’s not a gem, but it’s a pretty big red spinel from this locality. The 3 cm crystal is nicely twinned and mostly exposed from the encasing marble matrix.