Tennantite with Chalcocite and Chalcopyrite (ex Dan Behnke Collection)

Item Description

The Flambeau Mine is famous producing some of the best Chalcocite specimens from any locality in the United States, but this piece is a rarely seen and desirable Tennantite specimen from this well-known locality. The piece features beautiful, tiny, bright, silvery-grey, metallic, tetrahedral crystals of Tennantite associated with iridescent (blue and purple) Chalcocite crystals and golden metallic Chalcopyrite on matrix. We have photographed the piece with a Canon MP-E 65 mm macro lens to better illustrate the quality. You almost never see Tennantite crystals on the market from this locality, and if you collect copper minerals, or specimens from the Midwestern United States, this is an attractive and worthwhile specimen that would make a perfect addition to your collection. From the collection of Daniel (Dan) W. Behnke (July 31, 1932 - January 20, 2020) of Glenview, Illinois. Dan was an Associate Photographer of both the Mineralogical Record and Rock and Minerals magazines. He served as the Micromount chairman of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1981 to 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Mineralogy in 1989, and the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a beloved member of the mineral collecting community, most notably for his supreme skill at photomicrography. If you've ever seen any of Dan's micro photos on mindat.org, it's easy to see why he was one of the best in this field. You can read his obituary at https://www.nhscotthanekamp.com/obituaries/Daniel-W-Behnke?obId=10633628