Calaverite

Unknown Owner

Calaverite is a rare gold telluride mineral and many of the world's best examples have come from the Cripple Creek District in Teller County, Colorado. This fine display specimen is from that district, although the exact mine from where it came is not recorded. Comprising a finely crystalline Quartz veinstone, or vein breccia matrix, at least four rich patches of silvery metallic Calaverite are prominent. Two of these are within cavities where the Calaverite is well crystallized, forming mirror bright, complete bladed crystals to about 5 mm in length. Two other larger areas, the largest to over 1 cm in length, are constrained within cavities and therefore not so perfectly crystallized, although crystal faces are still evident. This is a very large and rich example of this rare gold-bearing species, from the region that is perhaps best known for its presence.