Enargite with Galena Siderite and Quartz - image 1

Enargite with Galena Siderite and Quartz

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Butte in Silver Bow County, Montana, USA is one of the world's most important places for Enargite (copper arsenic sulphide) crystals, but most specimens were mined a generation ago. This quite distinctive specimen from David Hardman's fine North American suite (no. 810) is almost certainly one from the 1960s or 1970s and presents a rather different association and crystal form than normally seen in this famous mining district. Firstly, the main body of the specimen is a finely crystallized aggregate of beige-coloured Siderite encapsulating Quartz underneath. Then, on the main display side of the specimen many extremely reflective, to almost mirror-bright, dark grey, to black blocky Enargite crystals with sharp, well-defined edges are seen, with lesser blue-grey Galena crystals inbetween. The Enargite crystals are not the typical prism, but more complex, with stepping on some of the faces, and possibly represent twinned crystals. There is minor cracking to some of these glossy crystals, but they are really unusual. At large miniature size this is a really fine Butte Enargite.