Calcite (very unusual habit) on Amethyst (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

From an undisclosed quarry in Idar-Oberstein here we have a very unusual Calcite on Amethyst. This incredibly historic gem / lapidary district in Germany was at one time a producer of well-known Agates and species like Quartz, Calcite and even zeolites like Harmotome. This piece is certainly the must unusual Calcite I've seen from the locality in terms of morphology. The habit of these golden Calcites is scalenohedral, but the main Calcite has an oddly skeletal / hollow termination which is exposed and filled in with a generation of snow white Calcite. A secondary sidecar Calcite on the piece is fully terminated with a traditional pyramidal habit. The three-dimensional quality of the larger Calcite makes it difficult to photograph, but we've done our best to illustrate it in the photos. The matrix comprises a layer of silvery colored Chalcedony / Agate with a druse of purple Amethyst crystals on top. Very attractive, good quality and just plain odd for the species. If you collect worldwide Calcites or minerals from Idar-Oberstein, you can't afford to miss out on this one. Valued at $750 in the inventory. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.