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Search results for: “Arkansas”

  • Mauldin Mountain Locality

    Botryoidal green Wavellite spheres from Mauldin Mountain, Arkansas. Part of the Clardy's Crystals Vanadium Study.

    MAULDIN MOUNTAIN: THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY QUARRY

    While Dug Hill holds the “Old Stock” heritage, Mauldin Mountain was the powerhouse of the late 20th century. During active operations in the 1980s and 90s, this Montgomery County quarry produced world-class specimens known for their intense apple-green to yellow-green saturation. The site remains a legendary benchmark for the scale and vibrancy of Arkansas Wavellite.

    FORMATION & BLACK CHERT HABITS

    Specimens from Mauldin Mountain present the classic geological look of the region: vivid green spheres set against a dark, highly-fractured black chert and siliceous shale matrix. This compact, cryptocrystalline Bigfork Chert provides a stark, high-contrast background that makes the vibrant phosphates “pop” for the viewer.

    A SCIENTIFIC MYSTERY: THE SELECTIVE GLOW

    This locality is recognized for producing the rare fluorine-bearing analogue, Fluorwavellite, as well as select specimens that exhibit a selective Long-Wave UV (365nm) response. Unlike other locales, the fluorescence here can be highly specific—sometimes appearing in only one or two isolated spheres on a larger cabinet specimen, while the rest remain inert.

    Teal-blue botryoidal Wavellite from Arkansas, attributed to the 2017 Mauldin Mountain find. Specimen showcases internal radial crystal structure on a light-colored matrix.
    A specimen attributed to the 2017 ‘Blue Pocket’ discovery at Mauldin Mountain. While the teal saturation is characteristic of that find, the unusually light, sandy matrix on some examples from this lot remains a subject of debate among Arkansas curators, drawing comparisons to the classic heritage material of Dug Hill.

    TEAL & TURQUOISE: THE MODERN BLUES

    Though famous for apple-green saturation, Mauldin Mountain occasionally reveals rare blue-green to turquoise-colored pockets. While the most legendary “electric blue” specimens were recovered in a modern mining project around 2014, significant “Old Stock” finds from the late 1980s and 1990s established the initial reputation for these rare color variants in Montgomery County. These pieces are highly prized for their unique, designer-saturated hues that contrast sharply with the standard green.

    LOCALITY DATA

    Primary Name: Mauldin Mountain Quarry
    Prominent AKAs: Montgomery County Quarry, Mauldin Mtn.
    Status: Abandoned Quarry (Inactive)
    County: Montgomery County, Arkansas
    Geology: Bigfork Chert / Arkansas Novaculite
    Mindat ID: 16503

    Data Sourced via Mindat.org

  • Dug Hill Locality

    High-detail botryoidal green Wavellite from Dug Hill, Arkansas, showing distinctive radial acicular crystal structure on a weathered matrix.
    A classic Dug Hill specimen showcasing the signature ‘apple green’ hue and remarkable spherical aggregates.

    DUG HILL: THE GARLAND COUNTY HERITAGE

    Dug Hill remains one of the most storied mineral localities in the United States. Located in Garland County, Arkansas, this site became world-famous for its “Apple Green” Wavellite—a direct result of trace Vanadium enrichment within the regional phosphates.

    Specimens from this locality are instantly recognizable by their vibrant botryoidal habit set against a weathered, sandy chert matrix. This unique expression of the Bigfork Chert provides the classic “Arkansas Look” that has been a staple of major museum collections for over a century.

    FORMATION & MATRIX

    The specimens here are typically found as botryoidal coatings and spheres within the fractures of the Bigfork Chert. The contrast between the vibrant green Wavellite and the dark, weathered matrix provides the classic ‘Arkansas Look’ that has been a staple of museum collections for over a century.

    A HIDDEN GLOW: UV RESPONSE

    While most Arkansas Wavellite is non-reactive, select heritage specimens from Dug Hill exhibit a hidden complexity. Under Long-Wave UV (365nm), the colorless or white radial ‘rings’ within the starbursts can sometimes display a subtle bluish-white fluorescence. This rare response is a hallmark of the unique chemistry of the Garland County chert beds, often contrasting sharply with the inert, vanadium-rich green spheres.

    Rare teal-blue botryoidal Wavellite specimen from Dug Hill (de Linde Pits), Arkansas. Showcasing vanadium-rich mineralization and radial acicular structure.
    A rare ‘Blue Pocket’ heritage specimen from the historic de Linde Pits. This teal saturation represents a geochemical anomaly within the Bigfork Chert, highlighting the unique vanadium oxidation states of the Garland County heritage sites.

    THE BLUE POCKET: A VANADIUM ANOMALY

    While Dug Hill is the benchmark for green, it is also legendary for the rare “Blue Pocket” material recovered in the 1960s and 70s. These specimens display a deep teal-blue hue, a result of unique vanadium oxidation states during their slow growth within the Bigfork Chert.

    LOCALITY DATA

    Primary Name: Dug Hill (de Linde Pits)
    Prominent AKAs: Avant Locality, DeLinde Claim, Avant Mine
    Status: Heritage Site (Inactive)
    County: Garland County, Arkansas
    Geology: Bigfork Chert / Arkansas Novaculite
    Mindat ID: 10540

    Data Sourced via Mindat.org

  • The Wavellite Study

    Botryoidal green Wavellite spheres from Mauldin Mountain, Arkansas. Part of the Clardy's Crystals Vanadium Study.

    ARKANSAS WAVELLITE: THE VANADIUM STUDY

    Pure Wavellite is typically white or colorless. In the unique geology of the Arkansas Ouachitas, trace amounts of Vanadium—the same element used to forge high-end steel and modern grid-scale batteries—concentrated during formation. This creates the signature ‘apple green’ hue that has made localities like Dug Hill and Mauldin Mountain  world-famous for the species.

    Internal radial acicular structure of Arkansas Wavellite revealing the needle-like crystal growth.

    THE BEAUTIFUL PARADOX: RADIAL GEOMETRY

    Wavellite is a study in geometric contrast. While the exterior presents as smooth, botryoidal (grape-like) spheres, the interior reveals a perfect radial acicular structure—thousands of microscopic needles radiating from a single center point.

    Museum-grade Arkansas Wavellite specimen on matrix. A classic example of the vanadium-bearing phosphates of the Ouachitas.

    MINERALOGICAL DATA

    Classification: Phosphate
    Chemical Formula: Al₃(PO₄)₂(OH, F)₃ · 5H₂O
    Hardness: 3.5 – 4 (Mohs)
    Streak: White
    Type Locality: High Down Quarry, Filleigh, Devon, England
    Mindat Mineral ID: 4250
    Noteworthy Localities: Dug Hill (Arkansas), Mauldin Mountain (Arkansas), Siglo Veinte Mine (Bolivia).

    Data Sourced via Mindat.org

  • History Wing

    THE HISTORY WING

    Documenting the three-generation family legacy of the Clardy collection. From the deep-time geological records of the 1982 Little Rock Silver Rush and the Stanley Mineral Museum to the mid-century industrial strata of Motor City Fordite, this wing preserves the provenance and personal stories behind the specimens.

    THE MOTOR CITY INDUSTRIAL STRATA

    Mid-Century Fordite and Bowling Green Corvetteite Operations

    EXPLORE THE HISTORICAL STUDY 🏛️ 📜

    THE SALINE COUNTY SMOKY FIND

    The 1990s Howard/Clardy Rescue Mission

    EXPLORE THE ARCHIVAL RECORD 🏛️📜

    GREEN TOURMALINE IN QUARTZ

    The Ben V Copper-Wrapped Masterpiece

    VIEW THE WEAVING ARCHIVE 🏛️📜

    THE STANLEY MUSEUM ARTICLE

    Curation of the Ocus Stanley Estate Records

    EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE 🏛️📜

    THE 1982 LITTLE ROCK, AR SILVER RUSH

    City-Limits Silver Discovery Logs

    EXPLORE THE CHRONICLE 🏛️📜

    A CRYSTAL WITH HISTORY

    Multi-Generational Stewardship & Field Records

    VIEW THE RECOVERY LOG 🏛️📜

  • Mineral Gallery

    THE MINERAL GALLERY

    A curated study of Earth’s primary forms—from the historic quartz of the Arkansas Ouachitas to the rare copper secondaries of the Congo. This wing serves as the scientific record of the Clardy collection’s most significant mineralogical acquisitions.

    ARKANSAS QUARTZ
    WAVELLITE
    HALITE

  • The Fossil Record

    CRETACEOUS MARINE LIFE

    The Austin Chalk of Midlothian, TX, provides a window into the ancient Western Interior Seaway. These fossilized remains, including the serrated teeth of apex predators, represent the peak of Texas marine history.

    CRYSTAL-FILLED CLAMS: RUCKS PIT

    A rare intersection of biology and mineralogy. Within the Pleistocene shell beds of Rucks Pit, FL, ancient Mercenaria clams have been naturally transformed into honey-colored Calcite geodes.

    THE AGE OF TRILOBITES

    Masterpieces of prehistoric preservation. From the Moroccan deserts to the American Midwest, these armored arthropods define the evolution of complex life over 500 million years ago.

    Detailed technical data and original photography for this exhibit are courtesy of the Arkansas Geological Survey (now the Office of the State Geologist).

    Read the full archived report: “The Great Little Rock Silver Rush“

  • Musuem

    👉 🏛️ ANTHROPOGENIC HISTORY: THE MOTOR CITY ‘AGATE’ STUDY

    Botryoidal green Wavellite specimen from Dug Hill, Arkansas. Part of the Clardy's Crystals Mineral Gallery.

    THE MINERAL GALLERY

    A curated study of worldwide mineralogy, from the high-clarity quartz of the Arkansas Ouachitas to the iconic copper-lead ores of Tsumeb, Namibia.

    Large fossilized Megalodon shark tooth with distinct serrations and bourlette. Part of the Clardy's Crystals Fossil Record gallery.

    THE FOSSIL RECORD

    Exploring the prehistoric intersection of biology and mineralogy, featuring Cretaceous treasures and the crystal-filled clams of Rucks Pit.

    Archival 1960s field investigation at Jeffrey Quarry, Arkansas, by geologists Milton and Miser. Part of the Clardy's Crystals Famous Localities archive.
    From the 1960s investigations of Jeffrey Quarry by Milton
     and Miser

    FAMOUS LOCALITIES


    The stories behind the mines: From the needle quartz of Jeffrey Quarry to the legendary selenite beds of Jet, Oklahoma.

    Archival Blocker Lead Quartz specimen with original Stanley Mineral Museum base. Part of the Clardy's Crystals History Wing collection.

    THE HISTORY WING

    An institutional archive tracking multi-generational lineage records, deep-time provenance, and mid-century industrial strata.

  • About

    Ben IV and Andrew at the Clardy's Crystals and Cabs booth, 51st Annual Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show, 2026.
    Ben IV and Andrew at the 51st Annual Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Show, February 2026.

    Clardy’s Crystals and Cabs is the continuation of a three-generation journey. My passion for the mineral business was sparked in the late 1990s under the guidance of my father, Ben Clardy, a dedicated geologist for the Arkansas Geological Commission. Our early years were spent traveling to shows across the region, participating in trade areas where the love for the hunt far outweighed the business of the sale.

    This has always been a family endeavor. My oldest son, Ben V, joined us during his high school years and remains a vital partner in our acquisitions today. Most recently, he met me in Tucson for our first major buying trip together in the winter of 2026, where we spent five days hand-selecting the finest specimens for the gallery. Today, my younger son Andrew and I handle our local shows, continuing a tradition supported every step of the way by my wife, Julie.

    We specialize in specimens that tell a story—from the 1982 Little Rock Silver Rush documented by my father to the rare crystallography of the Ocus Stanley Collection. Our inventory has grown through decades of careful acquisition, from international dealers to the preservation of historic Arkansas collections.

    Ben IV and Ben V hand-selecting mineral specimens in a warehouse during their 2026 Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase trip.
    Ben IV and Ben V hand-selecting inventory in Tucson, Winter 2026.

  • So you wanted to see Our Phantom Quartz Points for Sale?

    Well we do not have many Phantom Quartz Points but what we do have were part of a Museum Collection we acquired part of several years ago. The material in this museum all caught Mrs. Stanley’s eye for one reason or another as you watch the video I bet you can pick out what attracted her to many of the pieces shown here.

     

     

    The Stanley Mineral Museum

    We acquired them when Sonny Stanley was shutting down his moms “Stanley Mineral Museum”.  Mrs. Stanley housed many fine mineral specimens in her onsite museum building. She set these aside from Ocus Stanley’s mining and mineral dealings over a lifetime in the mineral business in Arkansas. This is a selection of single points with phantoms, we selected from the museum stock as Sonny was liquidating it for the benefit of the grandchildren. We will post other pieces from this acquisition as time and priority allow. The pieces that came with this acquisition range from small to large single quartz points, quartz clusters from small cabinet to very large, as well as a few pieces of Wavellite. If you have a particular area of interest let us know and we will move it up the priority list.

     

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