Calcite with Chalcopyrite

Unknown Owner

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The Brushy Creek Mine in Missouri is known for its Calcite and Chalcopyrite combination specimens and this is one good-looking piece with exquisite balance in the size range. A stately, translucent gray, 9.4cm long, indomitable, "dogtooth" Calcite crystal rises abruptly from this formidable specimen! The crystal is in perfect condition, doubly terminated and has a pronounced phantom! This cabinet piece is rounded out by clusters of numerous other Calcite crystals that display varying amounts of Chalcopyrite coating. Luster of the Calcite crystals range from satin to adamantine. Chalcopyrites are tightly clustered in their coating and all are <1mm and have an iridescence that is either green to blue metallic or a sparkly red-bronze. A killer piece for the size range - and I should know, because I was in Ohio in school at the time these came to the market with older friends (and mentors) of mine, Neal and Chris Pfaff with Joe and Mark Kielbaso. I saw many at the time, in the late 1980s. This would be up there with the great examples for the size. As a side note, the financing and mining of this pocket was one of the first modern projects of investing real money into mining specimens at existing mines, and was a big project in the day that involved large funding and several partners. A friend sold his collection to raise the money. This was a HUGE deal at the time. And yet, when they were gone, they were gone - and no more like this have come since.