Calcite

Unknown Owner

Help improve this recordNo owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

The mine at Charcas in San Luis Potos', Mexico, is known for 25 different mineral species, but amongst these Calcite is probably the most diverse for it wide range in habit and structure. This attractive cabinet specimen has a core of massive Calcite veinstuff over which all surfaces, bar the base, are completely coated with hexagonal plates of colour-zoned Calcite crystals, commonly referred to as 'poker chip' crystals. The hexagonal plates attain 1.7 cm across flats and are typically 3 to 4 mm thick. Each plate has a colourless translucent outer rim which, on the flattened termination faces rapidly grade to a semi-opaque snow-white face and centre, sometimes with a Mercedes-Benz trigonal grey imprint. Although not recorded, this specimen could be from the 1960's find at the San Sebastian mine within the Charcas mining district. A fine Calcite from the Josef Clemente Collection of southern Germany.