Limonite after Siderite

Item Description

This is one of the few specimens of this material that I have seen from this mine. I was told that it is from the Kami mine, but I purchased it from a poor miner in La Paz, so I cannot be certain that this locality is genuine. It is nonetheless a very cool specimen of Limonite forming incredible "casts" after rhombic Siderite on matrix. The sharpness and detail is so amazingly well preserved, yet upon close inspection, one can clearly see that some of these cavities are hollow inside. It reminds one of the awe-inspiring "casts" of the citizens of Pompeii who were completely frozen in place from volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Despite the size, the piece is rather light in weight. The largest crystal measures 2.6 cm on edge.