DALLAS, TX.- A pair of spectacular fossils — one of an extinct marine reptile that measures more than 22 feet long (6.7 meters) and the other an early Jurassic crocodile — will become massive additions to their new collections when they are sold as part of Heritage’s Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector Nature & Science Signature® Auction Dec. 2.

“This is an exceptional event, with every lot from the same consignor,” says Craig Kissick, Heritage’s Vice President of Nature & Science. “Collections like this, with this level of both quality and variety, rarely reach the collecting market. From fossils to meteorites, and minerals to lapidary arts, this auction has treasures that will appeal to collectors of all kinds.”

The Mosasaur Fossil Skeleton, from what is now Kansas, is a magnificent specimen from the Cretaceous Period of a powerful reptile that was the undisputed apex predator of its marine realm while dinosaurs dominated on land. These powerful reptiles, with their elongated, serpentine bodies and jaws lined with razor-sharp, conical teeth, propelled themselves through the water with rapid, sinuous motions-an elegant yet deadly adaptation that made them masters of pursuit and ambush. Specimens out of the famed Niobrara Chalk Formation are renowned for their scientific importance but often are preserved in soft, friable Limestone, necessitating careful stabilization in matrix and plaster. In the offered example, which measures more than 22 feet long, the entire skeleton has been expertly extracted from its native rock and repositioned within a meticulously crafted faux matrix, allowing for a striking three-dimensional display. This exceptional specimen comprises two sections, which are designed to be joined together to create an immense and impressive display specimen.

A pair of spectacular fossils — one of an extinct marine reptile that measures more than 22 feet long (6.7 meters) and the other an early Jurassic crocodile — will become massive additions to their new collections when they are sold as part of Heritage’s Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector Nature & Science Signature® Auction Dec. 2.

“This is an exceptional event, with every lot from the same consignor,” says Craig Kissick, Heritage’s Vice President of Nature & Science. “Collections like this, with this level of both quality and variety, rarely reach the collecting market. From fossils to meteorites, and minerals to lapidary arts, this auction has treasures that will appeal to collectors of all kinds.”

The Mosasaur Fossil Skeleton, from what is now Kansas, is a magnificent specimen from the Cretaceous Period of a powerful reptile that was the undisputed apex predator of its marine realm while dinosaurs dominated on land. These powerful reptiles, with their elongated, serpentine bodies and jaws lined with razor-sharp, conical teeth, propelled themselves through the water with rapid, sinuous motions-an elegant yet deadly adaptation that made them masters of pursuit and ambush. Specimens out of the famed Niobrara Chalk Formation are renowned for their scientific importance but often are preserved in soft, friable Limestone, necessitating careful stabilization in matrix and plaster. In the offered example, which measures more than 22 feet long, the entire skeleton has been expertly extracted from its native rock and repositioned within a meticulously crafted faux matrix, allowing for a striking three-dimensional display. This exceptional specimen comprises two sections, which are designed to be joined together to create an immense and impressive display specimen.

The auction features an exceptional array of lapidary art, including a magnificent 2007 Ruby & Gold Eagle Sculpture by Peruvian artist Luis Alberty Quispe Aparicio. This masterpiece is massive — it stands 76 inches (193 centimeters) high, including the dark granite obelisk on which it is mounted — and is made from Ruby rough of exceptional quality. The eagle is portrayed in full flight, its wings outstretched, and features a beak and talons cast in 18K Yellow Gold.

The sculpture is one of many lapidary art treasures in the auction, an array that also includes, but is not limited to:

• A Marra Mamba Tiger’s-Eye Sphere from Australia

• A Backgammon Set with Board and Pieces, also from Australia, with highly polished slabs of Arizona Petrified Wood, an interior of Australian Tiger’s-Eye and game pieces of black and white Nephrite

• A Smoky Quartz on a Bronze Base from Brazil

The auction features an exceptional array of minerals among its offerings, including a Tourmaline with Albite & Lepidolite dubbed “The Ice Cream Cone” for the frosted white cluster of bladed Albite crystals that represent a tasty frozen treat while perched atop the large, green Tourmaline crystal and dusted with lilac Lepidolite. Specimens of this caliber seldom are recovered intact from modern pegmatite workings, and the piece offered here embodies both geological significance and sculptural beauty, epitomizing the balance of strength and elegance for which the finest Brazilian pegmatite minerals are celebrated, making it a centerpiece for the connoisseur of fine mineralogy.

Collectors hoping to make a big addition to their collection need look no further than a massive Uruguayan Amethyst Geode with Calcite Crystal. This behemoth tips the scales at nearly a ton — 1,933 pounds (877 kilograms) — and measures 44 inches (111.76 centimeters) in length. It features countless gem-quality Amethyst crystals around a superb Calcite crystal that stands 10 inches (25 centimeters) high. Geodes of this caliber originate within volcanic “vugs” — hollow cavities created by ancient gas bubbles within solidified lava. Over countless millennia, mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids percolated into these voids, depositing layers of Silica and Iron that crystalized under immense heat and pressure to form the Amethyst’s purple hue.