Sphalerite (gem crystal) with Löllingite on Quartz

Item Description

The Sphalerite crystals from Aït Ahmane, Morocco are some of the best gem Sphalerites from any contemporary locality. This locality is best known for its cobalt minerals, and the Sphalerites are fairly rare. These pieces feature beautifully well-formed crystals with vibrant yellow hues, which are often close to transparent internally. This piece features a 1.0 cm, sharp, well-formed, twinned crystal of Sphalerite which is virtually water-clear internally when backlit, showing a lemon yellow color associated with grey metallic Löllingite and powdery white Talc on Quartz. These Sphalerites are sometimes referred as "Cleophane", which is varietal of Sphalerite, typically colorless or green, but often gem quality. The entry on mindat.org states that yellow gemmy sphalerite is called "golden sphalerite." A very attractive piece of this seldom seen material.