Bismuthinite

Unknown Owner

This is a beautiful miniature specimen of a Cornish classic - Bismuthinite from Fowey Consols. Small it might be, but rich it certainly is too. Superb, textbook dark grey acicular Bismuthinite crystals to over 1 cm in length span cavities within a porous Quartz-Chlorite matrix with minor Pyrite. It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) and is accompanied by their typed label and a much earlier (probably late 19th century) handwritten French label recording it as "Bismuthine" from Cornwall. However, there can be no disputing its exact provenance as from Fowey Consols due to its distinctive form and association - classic through and through.