HEMATITE with CHALCOPYRITE on SIDERITE

Carn Brea mine formerly lay in the district of Illogan at the northern foot of Carn Brea, an elongated hill formed from a satellite granite offshoot of the more southerly Carnmenellis Pluton. Any label should really only state either Illogan or Camborne as both are entirely separate areas, but this is only readily apparent to anyone more familiar with the district. To confuse matters further, the southern boundary of Illogan has since been changed in both 1973 and 1985, each time moving north. The southern limit originally extended down to Carn Menellis hill, but now runs parallel with and to the north of the main A30 Redruth to Camborne road. Back to the specimen, it's a magnificent Hematite with Chalcopyrite on Siderite forming a roughly square cabinet specimen of micro-crystallised, black Hematite with a twinkling, bright metallic lustre, richly scattered over rounded, lenticular blades of caramel tan Siderite. The Siderite crystals appear to average around 5 mm wide. Two generations of Chalcopyrite crystals are scattered across the display surface; the first as larger crystals of about 8 mm across with overgrowths of second-stage micro-Chalcopyrite crystals, usually of a brighter metallic gold. It’s a stunning specimen from Carn Brea mine, ex the collections of Mike Brooke and Esme Bailey.

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Crystal Classics

Tucson, Arizona, USA