Dolomite with Pyrrhotite and Siderite (ex Rich Kosnar Collection)

Item Description

According to the entry on mindat.org Morro Velho is the, "world's oldest continually producing gold mine, started in 1725". While it's not common to see actual specimens of gold on the market from this locality, you will see attractive display quality specimens of a few carbonates, predominantly Siderite and Dolomite. This piece is a classic example of the fine quality Dolomites featuring many sharp, well-formed, gemmy/translucent, white/colorless rhombic crystals measuring up to 4.5 cm on edge, which are coated by small, bronze colored, metallic, pseudo-hexagonal blades of Pyrrhotite (some of which are actually included inside of the Dolomite crystals), along with a brownish-green translucent "stepped" rhomb of Siderite on the back. The piece is in good condition all around, with no major damage that I can find on the top portion of the piece, only a few small nicks. This piece dates back to the early 1970s, and comes from the collection of Richard (Rich) A. Kosnar (1946-2007). Rich was a well-known collector from Colorado, and one of the most successful mineral dealers of his day. He had a presence in Brazil in the 1970s and imported many fine mineral specimens, gem crystals and faceted stones.