Detailed information
Species
Native Tellurium, Pyrite, Quartz
Dimensions
48 x 82 x 32
mm
Weight
124 g
Locality
Fata Baii (Facebánya) Zlatna Alba Co., Romania
Condition
No recorded repairs
Fata Baii (Facebánya) in Alba Co., Romania is the Type Locality for two tellurium-bearing mineral species: Native Tellurium and Tellurite. Both were discovered there in the first half of the 19th century in the old gold mines and remain some of the best crystals of these species worldwide. This very old small cabinet specimen from there is Quartz veinstone richly invested with dark grey crystallized Native Tellurium and disseminated Pyrite. The main area of Native Tellurium microcrystals is within a shallow cavity 1.8 x 1.3 cm in area, but there are other smaller cavities and massive Native Tellurium dispersed throughout the matrix too. An old handwritten label from the "K.K. Mineralien Kabinet records an acquisition date of 1886 and the locality as Faczebaja - the Hungarian name. Ex Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) collection, this is a very fine historic piece.
