Sphalerite var. Schalenblende slab (James Carter Coll.)

Item Description

Sculptural polished slab of striking concentric layers with reniform surfaces consisting of alternating bands of sphalerite (brown to yellow), marcasite and galena (grey inclusions) form Schalenblende, a variety of Sphalerite. Wurtzite (as often reported to be a component of the Polish Schalenblende) could not be detected by XRD analysis, according to a report. The color variation of the sphalerite is due to grain size and (minor) to the iron content. Ex Dr. James Carter Collection. James was a professor of Geology and former Department Chairman at the University of Texas at Dallas for 43 years until he retired in 2008. A true geoscientist, he studied and performed research on a remarkable variety of geological aspects. NASA asked Carter to help create a material that was similar to actual lunar regolith. The lunar regolith simulant, or fake moon dirt, he developed was used by NASA and other researchers for studies in support of future human activities on the moon. He passed away in 2019. We just acquired part of his collection. Read about James at: https://www.utdallas.edu/news/faculty-staff/carter-tribute-2019/. An artistic polished schalenblende slab from this well-known Poland locality. It is regarded as a classic lapidary material. 139 grams mass.