Have Your Own Specimen or
Entire Collection Mounted on a Custom Display!
 The demand for high quality bases for mineral and fossil specimens has dramatically increased in the past several years. As collectors and dealers continue to buy specimens from $500 to $500,000 there is a need to display them as elegantly as possible. The Sunnywood Collection is the original maker of acrylic and wood bases and continues to lead the world in innovation, stability and quality. Our bases can be seen in numerous mineral shops, mineral shows, and collectors’ homes around the world. We have mounted thousands of specimens since we started business in 1985.
Having your specimen mounted by Sunnywood offers many advantages. We now offer mounting on clear, black, or frosted acrylic ranging from 1" - 2" in thickness and many different hardwoods . Most of our customers prefer rectangular shaped bases, but we can also produce a base of any shape including round and eliptical. Throughout the process no glues or mineral tacks will ever touch your specimen.
Specimens are either hand-routed by one of our very experienced technicians or if appropriate, completed on our computer controlled router, complete with laser scanner. Our labels are available in either black or white lettering and can be removed if changes are necessary. Clear bumpons are added to the bottom of the base for stability and to prevent scratching.
 We will work with you to design and display your specimen as appropriately and artistically as possible. Because we have your piece during the entire process, we are able to make it extremely stable in almost any position you desire. We firmly believe this is the only way to make a quality mineral base. Every supporting prop that we make is custom designed and fitted to your specimen. They will often touch more than one area of the piece, thus allowing more support. Having your specimen in our possession allows us to insure that your specimen is positioned perfectly with a high degree of stability. It’s worth it to give it to us... After all, who wants one of their favorite pieces falling off of it’s display, causing it significant damage?
For specimens to be displayed outside of a mineral cabinet, we offer clear acrylic covers for protection against dust and breakage. Turntables are also available custom-sized to fit underneath your base allowing you to have a 360 degree viewing pleasure at the touch of your finger.
Contact us to find out how we can help your collection or exhibit look even more spectacular. Bring your specimen to us at our shop or drop them off with us at one of the major mineral shows in the United States. If you choose to send your specimens to us, call us so we can advise you how to package and ship them in the best manner.
 1" ACRYLIC BASES
New prices effective January 1, 2010
- 2-5" max dimension - $190 without label(*)
- 2-5" max dimension - $200 with label(*)
- 5-10" max dimension - $215 without label(*)
- 5-10" max dimension - $225 with label(*)
- > 10" max dimension - call for estimate
- 2-5" non-rectangular base - $200(*)
- 5-10" non-rectangular base - $225(*)
1 1/2" ACRYLIC BASES
New prices effective January 1, 2010
- 2-5" max dimension - $240 without label(*)
- 2-5" max dimension - $250 with label(*)
- 5-10" max dimension - $265 without label(*)
- 5-10" max dimension - $275 with label(*)
- > 10" max dimension - call for estimate
- 2-5" non-rectangular base - $255 (*)
- 5-10" non-rectangular base - $275 (*)
- >10" non-rectangular - call for estimate(*)
Price also includes as many custom shaped props necessary to properly stabilize the specimen.
(*) Price is based on normal routing time of no more than 1 hour. Additional routing time will be billed at $50.00 per hour. A 5% discount will be offered on mounting orders of greater than 15 specimens in a 30 day time frame.
WOOD BASES
Wood bases are made from 8/4 lumber (1 3/4" thick). Due to the rapid increase in wood prices, all wood bases require custom pricing. We stock may American and Exotic hardwoods.
ACRYLIC COVERS
Acrylic covers are available on request. Ask for quote.
ACRYLIC and WOOD PEDESTALS
Pedestals with or without lighting are available on request. Ask for quote.
Shipping and Packaging:
- All specimens are supplied with a packing box.
- All specimens must be double boxed for shipping - Cost of shipping box(es) and packing materials will be billed to customers.
- A handling charge of $5-$10/box will be charged.
- Shipping cost and insurance is charged to customer. Inquire about insurance for expensive specimens
- Shipping Charges will be added to your mounting bill.
If shipping your specimens is not an option due to fragility or high value, we can arrange to pick them up and return them to you for travel expenses and a daily per-diem fee. This is only practical when 50 or more specimens can be gathered for mounting.
|
The Collector's Edge
RHODOCHROSITE GEMS
| Charlotte & Marshall Sussman Collection
AMETHYST
| Nexgem, LLC
TOPAZ on ALBITE
|
| Sunnywood has crafted many custom mounts for us and they have always done an excellent job. They made all the mounts we used for the minerals we displayed in the American Treasures exhibit in Tucson. Special requests (and we have made many) were done graciously and on time. Bill and Elsie Stone are an asset to all of us who share a love of minerals and want the minerals to look their best. | | - Joe & Susan Kielbaso - Gemini Minerals |
|
| We have displayed our minerals on Sunnywood bases for many years, and are always pleased with the perfection, craftmanship, and professionalism of everyone who works at Sunnywood. We give them our highest recommendation! | | - Wilensky Fine Minerals, Stuart & Donna Wilensky |
|
| I have been collecting minerals for twenty-five years and like most collectors I have enjoyed displaying my specimens. Before I met Bill Stone of The Sunnywood Collection, I displayed my minerals on different types of Lucite blocks. Each one was secured to the Lucite base with a combination of glue and putty. This enabled me to show every specimen’s optimal display side. This, combined with a nice cabinet and good lighting, made for a wonderful way to show people my mineral collection. However, when I met Bill and Elsie, who had made a business out of custom mounting mineral specimens, my ideas about how to display my collection changed forever.
I removed several of my specimens from their permanent stands and cleaned off the glue and putty, which was not an easy task, and presented the minerals to Bill. We had discussed what the stands would look like – uniform Lucite with a nice polish and beveled edges, and some other minor details about the process, but I was not prepared for the magnificent surprise that I would get when I saw the finished product! Each mineral was perfectly centered on a clear and beautifully polished block of Lucite. The specimen was also perfectly displayed as I would have only dreamed it could be! The best part and biggest surprise for me was that there was no glue or putty and the specimen was perfectly stable! He achieved this by carefully routing out a resting place for the mineral in the top of the Lucite base and then discreetly adding one or more Lucite supports around the mineral if needed. In addition they add an acrylic label in either white or black lettering. Finally, here was a way to mount a specimen in the optimal position on a magnificently crafted base without using any glue!.
I have waited my whole life for the ability to display my mineral collection in such a fine fashion. I would encourage any mineral collector who enjoys displaying their collection to have it custom mounted by The Sunnywood Collection. The artistically crafted stands enable you to show the optimal display side of the mineral, they safely hold the specimen in place, they allow you to remove the mineral for a closer look and then put it safely back in place, and they improve the overall display quality of the entire collection. All of these qualities make for a magnificent display that will surely showcase your mineral collection to the highest degree.
| | - Sandor P. Fuss - Collector |
|
| Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much all the bases Sunnywood has done for me over the years have improved the overall appearance of my collection. I must confess I have tried the competition's bases. Not having to ship or be without specimens is appealing, but the final result just doesn't seem to work out. The fit is sometimes loose and the angle is not always as I intended. The acrylic doesn't sparkle. Supports are wobbly. When I positin a piece on a Sunnywood base, it "snaps" into place with confidence. You clearly have the best product on the market. I'll be sending all of my work to Sunnywood in the future. Thanks for your special attention to every order! | | - Marc Countiss |
|
| I wanted to thank you, once again, for the incredible job you did on the mounting of the large floater smoky quartz! It is standing at the entranceway to our home and the lighting that you installed behind the piece shows it off to its best advantage. Your work is truly a compliment to our mineral and we can't tell you enough how many of our friends rave about it. All our Best! | | - Jim and Gail Spann |
|
|
