Pyrite pseudomorph after Anhydrite (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

I've only had a few of these rare and interesting pseudomorphs to offer over the years. They date back to a find in 1992, and to the best of my knowledge, it was an isolated discovery at this prolific locality. The Sweetwater Mine is one of the most well-known lead-zinc mines in the United States, and for decades has been a source of fine crystallized minerals, though only a handful of species are typically seen. This mine is famous for its sulfides, mainly Galena, Sphalerite and Chalcopyrite, but Pyrite is not terribly common, especially a piece like this which features muted metallic golden crystals which have formed pseudomorphs after preexisting crystals of prismatic Anhydrite. There are actually a few late-stage Galena crystals that are sitting on top of the Pyrite for a nice touch. Very showy, no damage and after a decent amount of time searching, this locality might be the ONLY mine where Pyrite is found pseudomorphing after Anhydrite, so if you collect pseudomorphs, this is something you really should have in your collection. What makes this piece stand out is the fact that there are multiple crystals present, so the piece has some three-dimensional flair. This discovery in mentioned in the 1993 Mineralogical Record, V. 24, # 1, p. 48.