Anglesite on Galena (classic locale)

Item Description

A striking 3.3 cm tabular anglesite spearpoint crystal dominates this classic, sculptural and very showy two-sided combination small cabinet from the famous Montponi Mine. All of the numerous anglesite spearpoints are very glassy with adamantine lustre, transparent to translucent to opaque. The crystals are included-with and rest on the corroded galena "mother" matrix. Secondary blades reach 2.7 cm. Essentially pristine, you don't notice the one small broken crystal. Mining probably started in the area in the fifth and sixth centuries B.C for argentiferous galena and later zinc ores became important. The Monteponi Mine close in 1997. See the excellent article in the 2014 Mineralogical Record, Vol. 45, No. 6. This excellent combination example has two fine display views.