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Stibnite on Quartz
A remarkable crystallized specimen of Stibnite reputed to be from the little-known Bwlch antimony mine near Deganwy in north Wales. Nothing comparable is known from the mine, but the old handwritten collection labels (which date back to the 1980s) accompanying the specimen are very specific and provide the locality as the nearby Bwlch Farm, something that one would not expect if someone was trying to falsify the information. Michael Harris, the previous owner of the specimen was a specialist in Welsh minerals and did not question its authenticity on his label. Prior to this it was owned by A.K. Borland, who recorded it as from Bwlch Farm. The deposit at Bwlch mine consists of epithermal antimony mineralization within tuffs. Most of the Stibnite and other antimony sulphosalt minerals form compact crystalline masses within vesicles rather than freestanding crystals within open quartz veins, but that is not to say that larger discrete veins were not encountered. Indeed, on several occasions, large crystalline masses of Stibnite, with crystals to over 5 cm in length have been found on beaches along the north Wales coast suggesting that sizable masses of Stibnite occur somewhere in the vicinity. This specimen displays wonderfully, with an inverted spray of prismatic Stibnite crystals to 5.5 cm in length sat on top of a flat bed of finely crystalline Quartz. A dramatic specimen, full of intrigue.
Unknown Owner
Comments
Known provenance
2024/12
Unknown Owner
$750.00—Species and Locality Wiki Pages
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