DALLAS, TX.- A dazzling collection of gold swept the top lots at Heritage Auctions' Nature & Science Auction Nov. 4 in Dallas, Texas, pushing the total value of the sale above the million-dollar plateau at $1,238,109.

"Gold has been viewed for centuries as a standard of exceptional quality, value and beauty, and the results of this auction underscore that idea," Heritage Auctions Nature & Science Director Craig Kissick said. "We were able to compile an exceptional group of gold examples around which the buyers can build their entire home or office."

The top lot was a Gold Nugget from the Bendigo Goldfields in Victoria, Australia, which sold for $181,250. This monstrous sample is more than 7-1/4 inches long and weighs in at a whopping 116 troy ounces.

A stunning example of Crystalline Gold from the 16 to 1 Mine in Alleghany, California was the runner-up to the top spot when it realized $112,500. Another massive example, this piece measures nearly 10 inches long and weighs 63.78 troy ounces, has an irregular free-form shape and a craggy surface that captures and reflects ambient light.

Another Gold Nugget from the Bendigo Goldfields nearly cracked the six-figure plateau when it brought $93,750. Another large sample (more than 4 inches long and more than 3-1/2 inches wide), this unusual example boasts an unusual shape, with both convex and concave surfaces.

The same goldfields in Victoria, Australia produced the next-highest value lot in the auction, a Gold Nugget measuring more than 5-1/2 inches long and weighing 27.71 troy ounces that drew $45,000.

Rounding out the top five was another Gold Nugget from the Bendigo Goldfields. Measuring nearly 3-3/4 inches long and just over 3 inches wide, and weighing 33.88 troy ounces, this example hammered at $43,750.

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:

· A Woolly Mammoth Tusk from Alaska: $25,000

· A 104.58-carat Green Beryl Gemstone: $16,250

· A Seymchan Meteorite Sphere from Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia: $15,000

· A 23.79-carat Tanzanite Gemstone from the Lelatema Mountains in Tanzania: $11,875

· A 506.81-carat Blue Topaz Gemstone from Brazil: $11,875