Siderite (rare large locality specimen)

Item Description

An impressive big display specimen from the Schlema area in the Ore Mountains of Saxony, Germany. This piece is noted as coming from Oberschlema, but mindat.org does not have Siderite listed from that specific area, so we're listing it as coming from newly named Aue-Bad Schlema area. This piece is a striking and hefty piece loaded with dozens upon dozens of compressed "disc"-shaped crystals of brown Siderite measuring up to 1.2 cm across, which have a layer of oxidization on the surface creating an almost "metallic" quality, if that makes sense. Nearly all of the crystals are pristine, and if you look closely on one corner, you can see there are some small groups of rich red colored Quartz crystals with iron oxide inclusions (sometimes called Ferruginous Quartz, "Hematoid" Quartz or Eisenkiesel in German). A very attractive old-time specimen, and you're not likely to see another of its size or quality on the market anytime soon, so don't miss out.
From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #19512CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.