Detailed information
Species
Chalcophyllite
Dimensions
52 x 67 x 31
mm
Locality
Wheal Gorland, St. Day Gwennap, Redruth, Cornwall England
Condition
No recorded repairs
An extremely fine large miniature of the copper arsenate Chalcophyllite from Wheal Gorland in the parish of Gwennap, Redruth, Cornwall. The site where Wheal Gorland was situated is now incorporated within the village of St. Day, about 2.5 km east of Redruth. A shallow vug measuring approximately 3 x 2 cm is richly lined with bluish turquoise green Chalcophyllite crystals to about 2 mm across flats which form stacked books of hexagonal crystals over the mottled grey matrix. Other smaller patches of Chalcophyllite crystals and individual crystals are scattered over all sides of the specimen. The matrix is a granular dark coloured Quartz veinstone pervaded with granular sulphides, Arsenopyrite appearing to be the most prominent. Chalcophyllite is one of Cornwall's iconic species, with the county of Cornwall being its type locality. This is a lovely example and will grace any collection of Cornish specimens.