Galena With Hydrocarbon Dissolution Patterns - image 1

Galena With Hydrocarbon Dissolution Patterns - image 2

Galena With Hydrocarbon Dissolution Patterns

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Large galena crystals are extremely uncommon from the district, and this piece is among the big ones we have seen. This is a notable, very large, complex single Galena crystal with good luster and cuboctahedral modified corners. To add even more interest, there is some preferential etching on some of the faces. This etching creates a visually wavy pattern, which adds an aesthetic all its own. According to the Lillie label, this unusual effect is due to some kind of preferential interaction with hydrocarbons (petroleum) in the pocket which affected dissolution of the galena. I have never seen the like! Collected in 1986, this is an imposing Galena specimen from a locality where few were preserved in favor of the fluorites. RCL1881