Galena

Unknown Owner

A very typical but rare specimen of intergrown cuboctahedral bright metallic grey Galena crystals from New Glencrieff mine at Wanlockhead in Scotland. If you look at photographs of the Wanlockhead area, the prominent steep pointy tip marks the approximate site of New Glencrieff mine. The Galena from here always tends to have a smooth and rounded appearance, often with the crystal faces displaying subtle differences in crystallisation indicated by feint boundaries and changes in lustre and patina. Individual crystals measure up to 6.3 cm with faces often displaying hints of peacock iridescence, biased towards steely blues. It is accompanied with a W.F. Davidson label. William Davidson was a well-established mineral dealer based at 9 Castlegate, Penrith (Cumbria) who died in 2002.