Ullmannite on Calcite

T

3,384 for sale·Member since 2026

A superb, world class level small cabinet piece of the rare nickel-antimony sulphide Ullmannite from Sardinia in Italy. Such specimens with large crystals were found in only a very few pockets in the 1800s; and I am told one later find in the early 1900s. Another discovery in the 90s produced smaller crystals of less import; and they remain extremely rare in any case. It features a myriad of sharp, silvery gray metallic crystals from 2 mm to an amazing 1.3 cm, which is very large for the species. Some are somewhat isolated, although, most are intergrown to varying extent. Many are near-perfect cubes with many having some kind of surface detail features such as small v-shaped grooves. The edges and faces are sharp on most, and all of them are set in snow-white Calcite matrix that has been carefully removed to reveal the crystals which were protected within. There is some light gray siliceous matrix on one end. This is one of very few examples of attractive well-formed Ullmannite crystals in display quality worthy of a museum, since most are massive or crystals are embedded within the ore. Ex. Paul Stahl collection and one of his favorite and more important European classics.