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Barite and Marcasite (polished)
- Lubin Mine, Legnica, Lower Silesia (Dolnoslaskie), Poland
- Miniature, 4.2 x 4.1 x 0.8 cm
- Start Time: 12/04/2014 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- End Time: 12/11/2014 6:45:00 pm (CST)
- Auction Closed
Item Description
From the 2011 find, these are rather interesting specimens from this copper mine in western Poland. Essentially, this piece is a polished slice of what formed as a "ball" or radiating aggregate of cream to tan colored semi-amorphous Barite, which was later coated by a secondary layer of coppery-colored Barite and then finished off with a coating of metallic iridescent Marcasite. When these specimens are uncut, they simply look like spherical groups of Marcasite, but the beautiful internal Barite is a pleasant surprise. It's almost like cracking open a geode, as the center of every one of these "balls" will yield a slightly different formation. Additionally, the lighter colored Barite in these specimens will actually fluoresce a bright whitish-green color under UV light. This piece is a less common "cap" which means it has a complete outer crystallization of Marcasite on the reverse side. Lastly, this piece shows a VERY RARE BLUE color near the center, which I'm told is only found in a very small percentage of specimens. Very cool, and unlike anything I can remember seeing from any loclaity.