Detailed information
Species
Stephanite
Dimensions
31 x 41 x 26
mm
Locality
Banská Štiavnica (Schemnitz) Banská Bystrica Region Slovakia
Condition
No recorded repairs
Originally labelled as 'Polybasit, Schemnitz' this grand old miniature silver ore specimen is a classic from 19th century Banská Štiavnica (Schemnitz) in Slovakia. Reinterpreted as Stephanite, the small (2 to 3 mm) pseudohexagonal stacked platy crystals form a dark grey aggregate reaching approximately 1.6 x 0.7 x 0.7 cm with other small crystals sparsely scattered over the surface of the distinctive porous beige coloured Pyrite-bearing rock. Well-crystallized specimens of silver sulphosalts are so rarely seen from this famous mining district that this is an exceptional rarity.