Pyromorphite

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If you are a fan of Pyromorphite - lead chlor-phosphate - then this small miniature specimen from the famous Mercur mine at Bad Ems in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany is certainly one to look at. Mercur mine is one of the most famous localities for Pyromorphite in Europe - renowned for its magnificent olive-green resinous curved, slightly barrel-shaped crystals aggregated in pure dense masses, but the habit of this specimen is very different and unique as far as I have seen in the world of Pyromorphite occurrences. As a complete all-round crystal aggregate it is very fine, but it is its distinctive khaki-green colour, with flashes of brown at the tips of the hexagonal prisms which makes it stand out from the crowd. Additionally, prominent stepped narrower and slightly hoppered terminations are quite unlike most other Pyromorphite specimens I have seen and makes for a really lovely crystal cluster. Individually the crystals reach about 1 cm in length, but are prominent because of their equally large width. Ex Hettrich Collection.