Pyrite (rare locality specimen) (ex Kay Robertson Collection)

Item Description

A rarely seen specimen of matrix Pyrite from the Cakmakkaya Mine in Turkey. The label refers to the locality as "Damar", but that's just the Turkish word for "vein", so it was probably an unintended translation. Sharp, lustrous, golden metallic crystals of Pyrite sit in massive granular Quartz matrix. The crystals have an interesting and rare habit showing both octahedral and pyritohedral faces. At first I thought they were oddly-shaped icosahedrons, but a little close look shows that the pyritohedral faces are slightly curved and striated while the alternating octahedral faces are very smooth and flat. The largest crystal measures 1.8 cm across, and for the most part, the piece is in superb condition. I've only seen a few of these over the years, and most of the time we only encounter loose singles out of matrix, so to find multiple crystals on matrix like this is certainly rare. A great piece to add to a sulfide suite, a Pyrite collection or a collection of Turkish minerals. Ex Kay Robertson Collection (#8250). Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record).