Pyrargyrite (fine aesthetic thumbnail) (ex Mervyn Ford Collection)

Item Description

Among the most famous of silver-producing mineral localities in Mexico is the famous Fresnillo area. The various mines in Fresnillo have been the source of some of the most famous and important specimens of various silver sulfides and sulfosalts ever found in Mexico. It's safe to say that the finest Pyrargyrite specimens in the world are from this Fresnillo. I would say it's quite difficult to get your hands on good specimens of Pyrargyrite from Fresnillo these days, especially choice showy thumbnails like this. This piece is a superb, highly aesthetic thumbnail featuring a group of sharp, lustrous, well-formed, silvery-black colored, prismatic trigonal Pyrargyrite crystals measuring up to 1.7 cm across long beautifully intergrown to create a three-dimensional display piece. Very minor Calcite and host rock matrix can be seen on the reverse side. The surface of the crystals are reflective and metallic (best seen on the prism faces), and there are a few tiny areas when the crystals are backlit which show the classic and highly desirable blood red hue for which Pyrargyrite is known. No damage that I can find on the display side with the naked eye, and it's even crystallized in places on the back, so it's mostly complete all the way around. A very attractive specimen of this classic and highly sought after material. This is very close to high-end competition quality in terms of the overall form / aesthetics and the superior quality of the crystals. Valued at $1,000-$1,250. Ex Mervyn Ford Collection.