Sphalerite on Dolomite

Item Description

This is an attractive and rare combination specimen from this otherwise well known Moroccan locality. This beautiful specimen is actually from the famous locality at Touissit, Morocco, best known for its wonderful Azurite and Anglesite crystals in the upper oxidized zone of the deposit. This good-looking and well balanced piece features a rich full covering of very sharp, highly lustrous, beautiful salmon pink colored Dolomite crystals as the substrate. These crystals have the classic saddle-shaped curvature to them and are between 0.5 and 1 cm in maximum dimension. Nearly two dozen almost metallic black Sphalerite crystals grace the display surface. They are isolated or in loose clusters with crystals up to 1.5 cm across. There a few, tiny, less than 1 mm Chalcopyrite crystals on the Sphalerite very locally and their oxidation is probably responsible for the trace of a greenish staining (Malachite?) on them. An excellent sculptural small cabinet piece from Touissit, Morocco, of a style we had not seen.