Hubnerite, Sphalerite, and Quartz

Item Description

Superb combination piece from the famous Pasto Bueno mining district in Peru. The center of this small cab is a grouping of large, metallic Sphalerite crystals with an etched or finely stepped texture, and they are intergrown with two gemmy 3 cm Quartz crystals. The real stars are at the opposite side from the Quartz, where you have several first-class, 3 cm Hubnerite crystals. The color is a dark reddish-black - glowing a cherry-red when lit up strongly. The luster ranges from waxy to almost metallic, with the perfectly cleaved terminations having great luster and color. This is from the famous finds prior to 1980, probably from the late 1960s. These finds established Mundo Nuevo as the premier locality for the species at this time. Overall, for size and quality, this is one of the more attractive combination pieces I have seen from here.