Sphalerite

$1,200.00

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A northern English classic out of the 19th century Dr. T. B. Wilson (1807-1865) collection at the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. Very typical of the mines (Smallcleugh etc.) at Nenthead, Alston, Cumbria, it presents a large cabinet display piece of the Quartz-Sphalerite association. Fragments of brecciated host rock are cemented and veined with Quartz and Sphalerite with the upper surface of the specimen encrusted in large aggregates of rough-textured Sphalerite crystals alongside dappled white pyramidal Quartz crystals. It is difficult to discern the larger individual crystals, but they reach over 1 cm across but smaller (6 mm) well-formed glossy crystals are seen in cavities. Several cavities at one end of the specimen display the classic hollow cubic casts after Fluorite seen in some of the mines at Nenthead (Rampgill being the best known). A lovely old-timer, and it still bears its old handwritten number label (56/16). No other old labels are present.