Marcasite ("Sperkise") (classic material)

Item Description

A beautiful, eye-catching and rarely seen MATRIX specimen of Marcasite from Cap Blanc-Nez in France. Here we have a wonderful display specimen featuring razor-sharp, fine quality, textbook, golden metallic colored crystals in semi-radial or "spray"-like forms aesthetically sitting atop sedimentary matrix. I've seen many specimens of this this material, but most of them are loose groups off matrix, but THIS one features multiple groups ON matrix, which is rare in my experience. Another great aspect of this material is that it is STABLE Marcasite which won't decompose and / or crumble like those from other world localities. For reference, these specimens are sometimes referred to as "Sperkise" which is in reference to a particular habit of twinning on the ({101} face forming the shape of a "spearhead". This term is derived from the German "Speerkies" (Speer = spear & Kies = gravel or stone). This twinning habit is often seen from Cap Blanc-Nez.