Siderite

Unknown Owner

This fine English Siderite specimen comes with great historical pedigree. Originally from Samuel Ashmead (died 1864) whose collection was in the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences it passed, on the closure of that institution in 2012, to Malcolm Southwood (no. MS 2012.038). It's old Philadelphia labels record it from "Cornwall, England" but it is really from just across the county border in Devon, at the famous Virtuous Lady mine at Buckland Monachorum. Stunning Siderite specimens were first recorded from that mine during the 1830s, including wonderful epimorphs. This lovely cabinet-sized plate of Siderite on Quartz features colour-zoned disc-like crystals of Siderite, reaching 8 mm in diameter. Distinctive and rare, this is a fine British Siderite.