Baumhauerite, etc. (ex Matioli)

Item Description

Baumhauerite is a rare lead arsenic sulfosalt, and the world famous Lengenbach Quarry in Switzerland has produced some excellent, albeit micro examples of the species. The mineral was named after Heinrich Adolf Baumhauer [1848-1926], Professor of Mineralogy, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. This piece comes from the collection of Paolo Matioli, and features lustrous, silvery black Baumhauerite associated with honey colored Sphalerite and metallic Pyrite along with bright red Realgar on Dolomite matrix. This quarry is the type locality for Baumhauerite (and 34 other minerals if you're counting), and has given collectors some wonderful crystallized samples over the years. This particular specimen was collected in 1986. If you collect Lengenbach, sulfosalts or just minerals from the famous Binntal in Switzerland, don't miss out on this one! If you love mineralogy, then you must read the issue of the Mineralogical Record detailing this locality (Vol. 45, pgs 157-196).