Calcite, Chalcopyrite, and Galena

Item Description

Dramatic and sharp, this hexagonal, doubly-terminated Calcite is perfectly perched above a forest of iridescent Chalcopyrites. The Calcite is 2.4 cm long, and both terminations have a secondary overgrowth of Calcite. You just have to love preferential growths like this - they can be so intersting and attractive. The reverse side, as you will see in the video, is rich in Galena, which is one of the primary ores of this historic lead-zinc mining area that was worked from the 1500's until the late 1980s. There is just the tiniest bit or rubbing on the Calcite,and considering the age and exposure on the piece, that is remarkable. Aesthetic, old-time combination piece. These pieces are part of a century-old Italian collection that was recently acquired. Its historic nature, aside from the sheer age of the specimens, is reflected in how dramatically geopolitical borders have changed since these labels were created.