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Pyrite with Sphalerite
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Here is a large, very artistic cluster of stunning, mirror-bright, brass-yellow Pyrite octahedrons from the Huanzala Mine of Peru. This one is from a small find of older years. It is a sculptural, arcuate specimen with dozens of super bright, sharply formed, interconnected Pyrites associated with small, black Sphalerite crystals around the periphery and between the Pyrite crystals as accent that makes all the difference between a "normal" specimen and a "special" specimen. The dramatic, machined-looking octahedrons have mirror bright faces and are mounded up, and yet still distinct from one another, which produces a remarkable geometric array of seemingly triangular shapes as it displays from one angle in particular. Edges of the octahedral faces range from 0.5 to 2.5 cm and they are all pristine on the entire display area. The back of the piece reveals a plethora of small crystals that represent a variety of associated minerals that include 3 to 4 mm, metallic gray, striated Bournonite crystals; little bursts of translucent white Quartz; and tiny spheres of white Calcite. I know we have all seen many large pyrite specimens before but there is something different about this "tower" shape. This looks like a tower of crystals, impeccably frozen in place during some growth process that is unlike others...it is almost organic in appearance. It is a very aesthetic, complete-all-around specimen with a more diverse mineralogy than meets the eye! At the end of the day, this is special compared to the thousands and thousands of others we have seen, with a particularly refined elegance and quality that sets it apart, and why it was kept in a prominent private collection within Peru, the muti-generational family collection of dealers Elmer and Bruce Ramos, of Lima. The specimen was sold in early 2022 by Elmer Ramos' family in memory of the famous, affable, well-loved Peruvian dealer, who sadly passed away during COVID.
Product details
SpeciesPyrite, Sphalerite
SizeCabinet
Dimensions12.1 x 7.8 x 6.8 cm
Listed on08/28/2026
LocalityPeru, Ancash, Huanzala Mine
SKUPERU23-08
Current owner
A
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Mineral guide
Learn about Pyrite
brilliant metallic luster, perfect cubes, and golden color; collectors prize affordable pieces to top specimens, with Navajún and Huanzala localities.Regional guide
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