Bournonite

This might be a miniature specimen but boy is it great. A classic from Herodsfoot mine, near Liskeard in Cornwall, this Bournonite is a stunner, comprising many wonderful iconic 'cogwheel' crystals with a simply beautiful gunmetal colour and patina. The form of the Bournonite crystals is excellent with the largest reaching 2 cm across and 0.8 cm wide. The Bournonite crystals sit upright, some interlocking, on a thin layer of crystallized Quartz on Siderite on killas rock matrix. There is some damage to the base of some of the crystals around the edges of the specimen but from above it is mighty fine. One of the Bournonite crystals displays the classic white Quartz overgrowth on one side. Virtually all of these specimens were extracted whilst the mine was operational during a narrow window in time during the 1860s. For those wanting to know more, I thoroughly recommend the Herodsfoot mine article written by Roy Starkey and published in The Mineralogical Record in 2012 (Vol. 43, No. 4). Ex Malcolm Southwood collection (no. MS 2011.181), ex Kimball Goddard collection and ex 'Jones' collection.

Unknown Owner

Product details

Species

Bournonite, Quartz, Siderite

SizeSmall Cabinet

Dimensions6.0 x 3.5 x 3.0 cm

Locality

UK, England, Herodsfoot Mine

Added on12/14/2024

Comments

Known provenance

2025/07