Metacinnabar (excellent, large rarity)

Item Description

Metacinnabar is an rare mercury ore worldwide. This is a huge and significant example of this rare species, from perhaps its most classic old US locality as far as actual display-quality specimens go. This specimen is covered by a blanket of robust, nubby crystals to 5 mm, a myriad of them. Primary production was in the 1870s, with the last in 1930. A few were collected in the 1960s by field collectors poking around the old site, with none since of any quality I know of. A major rarity of museum quality for this auction. Valued at $1000, for size and richness.