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This Specimen has been sold.
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3.8" Fantastic Sphalerite Cluster - Bolognesi, Peru
This is a unique specimen that contains an association of sphalerite and two other minerals. The sphalerite is encrusted in what appears to be barite or calcite, and there are translucent yellow crystals scattered throughout the specimen. While sphalerite crystals can be translucent and yellow, based on the opaque sphalerite that the mineral formed in association with, it's unlikely to be sphalerite. It comes from the Huanzala Mine in Peru and the entire specimen measures 3.8" long.
About Sphalerite
Sphalerite is the most important ore of zinc and a striking mineral prized for its brilliant luster and wide range of colors. Composed of zinc sulfide (ZnS), it commonly forms in cubic or tetrahedral crystals and is found in hydrothermal veins, sedimentary deposits, and metamorphic environments around the world.
Although often brown to black, sphalerite can also occur in shades of honey-yellow, red, orange, and even green. Lighter-colored varieties are sometimes transparent to translucent and can display exceptional dispersion—meaning they separate light into spectral colors more intensely than diamond—giving well-cut specimens a fiery, eye-catching sparkle. Darker specimens are typically opaque with a resinous to submetallic luster.
Sphalerite is the most important ore of zinc and a striking mineral prized for its brilliant luster and wide range of colors. Composed of zinc sulfide (ZnS), it commonly forms in cubic or tetrahedral crystals and is found in hydrothermal veins, sedimentary deposits, and metamorphic environments around the world.
Although often brown to black, sphalerite can also occur in shades of honey-yellow, red, orange, and even green. Lighter-colored varieties are sometimes transparent to translucent and can display exceptional dispersion—meaning they separate light into spectral colors more intensely than diamond—giving well-cut specimens a fiery, eye-catching sparkle. Darker specimens are typically opaque with a resinous to submetallic luster.
SPECIES
Sphalerite
LOCATION
Huanzala Mine, Bolognesi, Peru
SIZE
3.8" wide
CATEGORY
ITEM
#126559
