Silver

Porco mine, Quijarro Province, Potosi Dept., Bolivia
Toenail, 3.3 x 2.2 x 1.6 cm
Start Time: 02/10/2011 6:45:00 pm (CST)
End Time: 02/17/2011 6:45:00 pm (CST)
Auction Closed

Item Description

This piece came from a recent find at Porco in 2010. It is a good quality group of crystalline SIlver with some pseudo-wire crystals associated with minor Quartz and Sphalerite forming a very attractive specimen. This is a good toenail specimen from a classic Bolivian locality, but please note that this specimen is somewhat FRAGILE so it must be handled carefully, so please keep this in mind when bidding. The mine at Porco is THE oldest and most significant Silver mine in Bolivia, and obtaining specimens is next to impossible because miners rarely bring out anything for sale, as the mine is a large commercial production, and virtually everything goes into the crusher. Most everything that evades the crusher is usually taken out of Bolivia by a geologist who has an "in" at the mine, or sometimes a group of brave miners risk losing their jobs by sneaking out a handful of specimens to raise a little extra money to feed their families. I obtained this piece directly from the miners at Porco a few months ago, and it is one of the best Bolivian Silvers that I have handled in recent months. It is very difficult to obtain any good Silvers from Porco, so don't miss out.

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