Detailed information
Species
Marcasite
Dimensions
85 x 55 x 58
mm
Locality
Cap Blanc-Nez Nord-Pas-de-Calais France
Condition
No recorded repairs
Beautifully crystallized, metallic, silvery-golden crystals of Marcasite form a roughly 4 x 4 cm cluster at the crest of a creamy-white chalk matrix. It is from the occurrence at Cap Blanc-Nez near the coastal hamlet of Escalles, west of Calais, France. The Marcasite forms as equant, flattened pyramidal and interpenetrant trigonal crystals, all with a bright metallic lustre. The contrast between sharply formed metallic crystals and smooth dull white matrix is quite staggering. Cap Blanc-Nez, situated 13 km west of the centre of Calais, is a coastal outcrop where the high chalk cliffs meet the English Channel. A fine example of Marcasite, with no damage, from this famous French locality.