Smithsonite ps. Calcite, with Greenockite (old USA classic)

Item Description

The old mining district at Mineral Point produced very good mineral specimens during the 19th-Century production of the copper deposits there, including excellent Smithsonite after Calcite pseudomorphs. Of the few that have survived these many years, this is one of the best I have seen. The sharp, curved, and flattened Calcite rhombs are well-preserved by sparkly Smithsonite crystals, and the entire piece has a burnt-orange tint imparted by a layer of the cadmium sulfide mineral, Greenockite. The largest of these individual pseudos is an impressive 4 cm across, and the varied orientations of the crystals rather reminds me of a crystalline version of the game 'Twister'. This superb, old-time cluster is from a famous old occurrence, with few clusters of this size having survived, let alone turning up on the modern market.   OLD material, seldom seen for sale