Cave Aragonite (rare)

Item Description

Sculptural and uncommon 360-degree cave aragonite from this Soviet-era antimony-mercury deposit. The sculptural arborescent form is composed of many stacked stalactites of glassy aragonite scalenohedrons with striking multiple diverging crystal terminations. Complete all-around and essentially pristine, with only trivial lower periphery wear. These rarities were recovered from the 1960s to mid-1990s. Bone-white and soft yellow fluorescence. These closely resemble cave aragonite and calcite specimens from the famous mines at Bisbee and Santa Eulalia, but are much rarer. The piece displays well, as the base has been sawed. Ex Bill and Anne Cook Collection. A fascinating and rare aragonite from the locale.