Bournonite ("cogwheels")

Item Description

One of the few "cogwheel" specimens of Bournonite that I have offered from Bolivia in the auctions for a while. This piece is features attractive, sharp, metallic, silvery-grey color, "cogwheel"-shaped crystal groups of Bournonite with small highly lustrous ocathedral Pyrite and minor Sphalerite. The largest "cogwheel" measures 2.0 cm. This specimen is from a find in 2008 in Bolivia, and is in pretty good shape overall from the standpoint of damage. This one is much better than the majority I've handled from Machacamarca. Comparatively, the Bolivian Bournonite "cogwheels" are priced significantly lower than their contemporary Chinese counterparts, and a piece like this from Machacamarca is very difficult to find. This piece was valued at $600 in the inventory.