Ferberite

Item Description

Some of the finest examples of Ferberite ever found are those from the famed Panasqueira Mines in Portugal. This piece is a classic example mined in the 1960s featuring a stout, semi-lustrous, jet-black colored, thick, prismatic crystal of Ferberite, associated with silvery Muscovite on the reverse side. The piece is in good shape overall, with no major damage, and it's actually crystallized on the bottom/back, so it's close to being a "floater". For reference, the old label accompanying the piece says it's "Wolframite", but I've been told that all of these crystals from Panasqueira are actually Ferberite. From the collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman. Dave is now retired, but among other things, he was the foreman and primary person in charge of recovering specimens at the famous Sweet Home Mine near Alma, Colorado during the late 1970s. He is also the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. See Dave's photo mining at the Sweet Home on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".