Galena with Calcite and Quartz

Item Description

From a recent find around 2022, these are classic Galenas with metallic, almost machined perfection to the crystallization; and they are so bright that it is hard to photograph. Mirror-luster galena crystals are accented by white needle quartz and calcite in this scintillating example from the historic mines of Borieva in Bulgaria. The largest crystal, in the center of the piece, reaches 2.3 cm across! These are sharp cubes modified by sharp octahedral edges - a cuboctahedral style of crystallization. Galena is often mined as an ore of lead, for tiny fractions of the value that natural crystals command in the mineral market. These are things that were once destroyed for the ore, now saved for us as collectors. The brilliance and beauty of this piece make it exceptional.