Bournonite with Galena Siderite and Quartz - image 1

Bournonite with Galena Siderite and Quartz

$3,000.00

$40.00 shipping
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Tucson, Arizona, USA

7,543 for sale·132 sold

Bournonite - lead copper antimony sulphide - is a fascinating mineral both in terms of its form and history. First reported from Cornwall at Wheal Boys in the earliest years of the 19th century but in limited numbers of specimens, it started to be discovered elsewhere across Europe during the mid-19th century and of course in world-class cogwheel-shaped crystals at Herodsfoot mine in Cornwall during the 1860s. One of the European regions where well-crystallized Bournonite was found was Příbram District in Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. Specimens are quite distinctive, associated with fudge-coloured Siderite, but were rarely assigned to a specific mine and are uncommonly seen. This super small cabinet specimen comes accompanied with a lovely old handwritten label recording it as from "Příbram". It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by the brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) and the original label is almost certainly 19th century in age, probably c. 1860-1890. Texturally, the specimen consists of dappled mixed Quartz, Siderite, Bournonite and Galena. There is much Bournonite present as coarsely crystallized patches throughout the veinstone, but it is one Quartz-lined cavity within which the best terminated Bournonite crystals are to be seen. These crystals reach 1.6 cm in length and display the classic burnished dark gun-metal grey colour. The Bournonite crystals are elongated blocky, to bladed crystals, but not so much stepped 'cogwheels'. This is a fine, rarely seen Příbram Bournonite with superb matrix demonstrating perfectly the local mineralogical assemblage.