Zinkenite with Calcite and Quartz - Olsa, Carinthia, Austria

Zinkenite with Calcite and Quartz

Help improve this record

No owner is registered for this specimen yet. If it's yours or you know more about it, you can add the owner, provenance, publications and other details.

Not only is this Zinkenite specimen quite large - small cabinet size - but it is a very rare example from the Type Locality where this species was described in 1826 (Graf Jost-Christian mine). The Zinkenite from there tends to take one of two forms, both of which occur as divergent sprays of crystals: firstly radiating sprays of thin acicular crystals on, or embedded within matrix; radiating sprays of thicker 'prismatic' crystals, usually detached from matrix. This classic old-timer, represents the former, with two superb sprays of acicular Zinkenite crystals sitting slightly proud of the surface of Quartz-Calcite host rock and several smaller sprays embedded with the matrix. The largest spray reaches a significant 2.5 cm in length and the other not much smaller. It is a really lovely, highly displayable specimen of this rare lead sulphosalt. It is from the superb systematic collection assembled by brothers Martin and Michael Günther (1951-2007 & 1956-2021).