Detailed information
Species
Crocoite
Dimensions
40 x 50 x 22
mm
Weight
60 g
Locality
Berezovskii, Ekaterinburg Sverdlovskaya Oblast' Middle Urals, Russia
Condition
No recorded repairs
Classic old-time Crocoite from what was the world's premier occurrence for nearly two centuries until the remarkable discoveries in Tasmania were made. Most late 18th century and early 19th century aristocratic and museum collections in Europe feature similar specimens displaying rich red to orange-red bladed crystals, usually without terminations (these are extremely rare) from Berezovskii near Ekaterinburg, Middle Urals, Russia. Often they display the same characteristic porous host rock. Older specimens usually feature descriptive names, such as "Red Lead ore" or "Chromate of Lead" rather than its current name - Crocoite. This nice miniature specimen is clearly very old, and displays all of the classic features one would expect - distinctive matrix; residual Quartz crystals; short, but wide bladed/prismatic crystals with vertical growth lines. Ex David Hardman collection.