Sphalerite with Calcite

Unknown Owner

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This is a really fine, well-crystallized Sphalerite specimen for Weardale. It comes from Blackdene mine at Ireshopeburn and I must confess to have not known about the quality of the Sphalerite from there, up until now. It comes from Roger Harker's Collection and has been kept by his family for over 40 years since his untimely death at such a young age. It bears his typical handwritten label affixed to the back, but other than its location provenance he gave no details of when it was collected. Nevertheless it is rather fine. It is an undamaged aggregate of complex intergrown black, to extremely dark brown, resinous, clustered serrated crystals, with an extremely thin layer of tiny grey Calcite crystals as overgrowth.