Sphalerite (gemmy crystals) on Quartz

Item Description

Sphalerite is a widespread and fairly common sulfide, and as sulfide minerals go, they are for the most part metallic and opaque. With that said, Sphalerite is one of the few sulfides that is found in transparent crystals. For many years, we've seen some excellent examples coming from the Madan Ore Field in Bulgaria. Some of these specimen will carry the name "Cleophane" which is an archaic term for gem quality yellow, green or colorless Sphalerite and was once a valid species, but is now defined as a variety of Sphalerite. This piece features many fine quality, sharp, lustrous, modified groups of sharp, well-formed complex crystals of Sphalerite measuring up to 9 mm across on somewhat porous / cavernous Quartz matrix. The Sphalerites show a beautiful green to golden-green hue when backlit, with great internal gemminess. It's incredibly difficult to photograph this material, and this one looks better in person, especially with the backlighting. This color is highly desirable for Sphalerite, and is not commonly seen for the species around the world, especially in fine crystallized examples.