Carrollite on Calcite

Item Description

Carrollite is a cobalt copper sulfide mineral that has been known since the 1850s. It was actually first discovered in Maryland, and named in honor of Carroll County, which is where the type locality (the Patapsco Mine / Finksburg Mine / Orchard Mine) existed. For many years, Carrollite was considered a notably rare mineral, often only found in small crystals (less than 1 cm). Going back to the late 1990s-2000s, some amazing Carrollite crystals started appearing from DR Congo. When these specimens first hit the market, they were immediately recognized as the finest examples of the species ever found. The best pieces from the Kamoya South II Mine are unquestionable the largest, sharpest, most impressive crystals of Carrollite extant. The piece hosts a fine, sharp, well-formed, lustrous / splendent, metallic, bright silvery colored modified cuboctahedral crystal measuring 1.5 cm across, sitting on translucent Calcite matrix. I can see a few imperfections up close, so it's not completely pristine, but it's still a showy miniature display specimen of this classic and now notably hard to find material, as these pieces seemed to have dried up, and I don't know if more will be found.
Ex Shields Flynn collection.