Name: Acanthite ps. Argentite
Brand: The Arkenstone
Price: 7500 USD
Availability: InStock

Acanthite ps. Argentite

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Sharp, and very aesthetic, cluster of acanthite pseudomorphed (replacement) after argentite. There are at least three dozen of these columnar pseudomorphs on this rare and very good piece from the San Juan de Rayas silver mine in Mexico. The largest crystal in this pseudomorph cluster measures 2.2 cm in length and the other crystals are from 0.5 to nearly 2 cm long. Nearly all of the charcoal-gray crystals have a roughly hexagonal outline with some degree of hoppering at the terminations. The crystals are actually pseudohexagonal prisms of the original mineral (presumably argentite although stephanite has been suggested by one person who saw the unusual forms here) and the acanthite has replaced them and retained the original form of the previous mineral well, leaving a slightly rough texture. This is an excellent small cabinet example of these rare pseudomorphs from here from very old finds. We know that it predates the 1980s as it was already with Ed Swoboda by then, in his famous exhibition collection of pretty and significant pseudomorphs. Ex. Swoboda through Carter Rich, to the Dr. Ed David collection. I got it from Ed in the early 2000s, and sold it to David Stoudt, and got it back recently. It remains a superbly geometric, sculptural, and relatively large example of this famous occurrence.