Calcite with Epidote (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

A really interesting and different kind of specimen than we're used to seeing from the "Alpine-type" kleft deposts in Pakistan. We've seen plenty of Epidotes over the years, but this piece features a predominant and very good sized scalenohedral Calcite crystal with a resinous / waxy luster on the exterior and a soft reddish hue from presumably iron inclusions which plays host to a tightly intergrown "Faden" group of pistachio to dark green colored Epidote crystals on the reverse side. It's certainly different from virtually any Calcite that I can remember seeing from Pakistan in terms of style and SIZE. Calcite is not terribly common from Pakistan, especially in this capacity. The piece is in pretty good shape, though there are a few contacts, and the base is cleaved where it was removed from the pocket wall. If you collect Pakistani minerals, or metamorphic specimens, this is a really cool and unusual piece that would make a great addition to any colleciton. 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.