Schalenblende slab (classic locale)

Item Description

A beautiful polished slab of "schalenblende" from a classic locale in Poland. The striking concentric layers with reniform surfaces consist of alternating bands of sphalerite (brown to yellow), marcasite (outer rim) and galena (grey inclusions). Wurtzite (as often reported to be a component of the Polish Schalenblende) could not be detected by XRD analysis, according to a report. The color variation of the sphalerite is due to grain size and (minor) to the iron content. It is regarded as a classic lapidary material. A very fine example from an old collection