Hutchinsonite (very rare) with Orpiment (ex Richard Rossi Collection)

Item Description

The finest examples of the very rare thallium, lead, arsenic sulfosalt Hutchinsonite have come from this mine, and this piece is no exception as it has some fine quality crystals. The species is named after Dr. Arthur Hutchinson (1866-1937), who was a mineralogy professor at Cambridge. The piece hosts individual crystals and crystal "sprays" of sharp, metallic, lustrous Hutchinsonite which are associated with orange Orpiment on matrix. Upon close inspection you can see there is a slight iridescence on the Hutchinsonite, similar to the iridescence you see on Stephanite crystals from certain localities. The Hutchinsonite crystals are not micros, as you can clearly see them with the naked eye, and they measure up to 6 mm. A fine example of this classic material that dates back to the 1970s from the Quiruvilca Mine. From the collection of Richard Rossi.