Sphalerite (large gemmy complex crystals)

Item Description

Sphalerite specimens are well-known from the Rucheng Mine, and this piece dates back to a find in the late 1990s. The specimen is a large, complex group of intergrown crystals with sharp faces and good luster on the surface free of matrix. The back side of the specimen features a group of silvery-grey colored cuboctahedral Galena crystals measuring up to 8 mm sitting on a small amount of tiny Quartz prisms. The Sphalerite group may appear black and opaque, but with good backlighting, you can actually see a beautiful mixture of warm reddish and golden hues inside. I can even seen some small green flashes here and there. The piece is in excellent all around, with no major damage on the display side, but it's not complete on the bottom where it was removed from the pocket wall. An interesting older specimen from this well-known locale, and one of the largest individual Sphalerite crystals / groups that I've seen from the locality. Valued at $1,700 in the inventory.