NATIVE Silver with Acanthite and PYROSTILPNITE - image 1

NATIVE Silver with Acanthite and PYROSTILPNITE

Unknown Owner

It has to be said this is an ugly beast, yet beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For those collectors who are passionate about their grey and black uglies which usually contain rare sulphosalts, then this is for you! From the Santiago Alto mine in Bolivia, what I think is a dark grey well indurated limestone is richly coated with sooty dark grey to black plates and powder-textured coatings of Native Silver intermixed with the silver sulphide Acanthite. This specimen is ex. the collection of a famous present day German collector and his label describes the presence of Pyrostilpnite. These occur as rare micro (and I mean micro) red acicular crystals. A rich and interesting specimen, but one I cannot describe as aesthetic!