Bournonite with Siderite on Quartz

Item Description

Bolivia is one of the premier Bournonite-producing localities in the world. In the last 20 years, I've seen some really impressive specimens of Bournonite from Machacamarca, in fact one piece that we sold was so good that it ended up on the cover of the May-June 2009 issue of the Mineralogical Record. This piece is features attractive, sharp, metallic, silvery-grey color, "cogwheel"-esque crystal groups of Bournonite with minor greenish-brown Siderite on grey Quartz matrix. The largest crystal measures 1.6 cm across. This specimen is from a find in 2012 in Bolivia, and is in great 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. My favorite aspect of this piece is the fact that it sits beautifully on its own without the aid of a base or clay. This piece was valued at $600 in the inventory.