Detailed information
Species
Chalcopyrite, Siderite
Dimensions
80 x 57 x 38
mm
Locality
Kaiwu Mine, Hezhang Co. Bijie Prefecture, Guizhou Province China
Condition
No recorded repairs
A beautiful lustrous bright specimen of excellent intergrown crystals of metallic brassy-yellow Chalcopyrite with fine sharply formed platy crystals of translucent-opaque Siderite making a prominent display across the specimen. This truly magnificent small cabinet specimen is from the Kaiwu mine in southern China, a mine about which very little is known save for it being a base metal mine. A few Chalcopyrite with Siderite specimens became available at the 2013 Tucson show and were attributed to this locality. What makes this specimen so remarkable is the mirror-like surfaces of the Siderite crystals. These, which average 2 to 3 cm wide, reflect the golden hues of the Chalcopyrite crystals to create a mesmerizing play of golden shades. It is so different to any other specimen I have ever seen containing these two species. Simply beautiful and stunning!