NATIVE Arsenic
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Crystal ClassicsFeatured
Tucson, Arizona, USASte Marie-aux-Mines in Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France is not just where a fabulous mineral show is held every summer, but also an incredibly important historical mining area dating back to the Middle Ages. However, mineral specimens from this region rarely come up for sale. One of the species for which Ste Marie-aux-Mines is famous is Native Arsenic and some of the mines were reopened during World War II for arsenic production. This small cabinet specimen of Native Arsenic displays the classic botryoidal form on top of what looks like massive Native Arsenic, but is probably composed of compact concentric layers. It is unclear what the white mineral is on the surface, but it could be Arsenolite - arsenic oxide. If so, the specimen should be handled with care as Arsenolite is water soluble and can dissolve on contact with skin, allowing arsenic to be absorbed into the body. This is a fine, large example of a classic from this historic mining district. It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).
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