SELIGMANNITE with RATHITE

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Lengenbach quarry in the Binn Valley, Wallis, Switzerland is one of the most remarkable mineral localities in Europe, if not the world. Bizarrely, it does not present the rich diversity of colours in large displayable specimens that places like Tsumeb, Broken Hill (Australia) and Franklin do, but in its own quietly unassuming way it has knocked out a remarkable 51 Type Species, all mostly in a backdrop of bright white 'marble'. This superb miniature specimen from the outstanding systematic species collection assembled by brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021) features two of those Type Species: Rathite and Seligmannite. Rathite is the rarer of the two, a complex silver lead thallium arsenic sulphide, virtually unheard of from anywhere else on Earth. Seligmannite, a lead copper arsenic sulphide, is a little more widespread internationally, but is still extremely rare as crystals. This choice specimen features a prominent, bright metallic dark grey, 1.1 cm long, prismatic Rathite crystal spanning a small cavity within the classic chalky white Dolomite matrix. Due to the way it has grown no termination is visible at either end. Associated with this Rathite crystal are microscopic equant, blocky grey metallic Seligmannite microcrystals, many of which continue into the Dolomite where microscopic Pyrite crystals are also present. This is an extremely fine, and quite large Rathite from a very well-known and highly respected systematic collection.