4.5" Quartz, Galena, Dolomite and Chalcopyrite Association - China

Silicon Dioxide, also known as SiO2 or Quartz, is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals generally grow in silica-rich, hot watery solutions called hydrothermal environments, at temperatures between 100°C and 450°C, and usually under very high pressure. Quartz veins are formed when open fissures are filled with hot water during the closing stages of mountains forming, and can be hundreds of millions of years old.

Galena is a lead based mineral that is in fact the primary ore of lead, and has been used for its lead content for thousands of years. Galena typically displays a gray metallic luster and forms cubes or octahedral crystals. The chemical composition of galena is PbS.

While galena will not pose a health hazard by sitting on the shelf, or even from casual handling, we suggest washing hands following handling due to the lead content of the mineral.

Dolomite is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate—CaMg(CO3)2.

The mineral dolomite crystallizes in the trigonal-rhombohedral system. It forms white, tan, gray, or pink crystals. Dolomite is a double carbonate, having an alternating structural arrangement of calcium and magnesium ions. It does not rapidly dissolve in dilute hydrochloric acid as calcite does. Crystal twinning is common.

The mineral dolomite was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1768 and In 1791, it was described as a rock by the French naturalist and geologist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu who first recognized the material in buildings of the old city of Rome, and later as samples collected in the mountains known as the Dolomite Alps of northern Italy.

Chalcopyrite is a brass-yellow colored mineral which is one of the most important ores of copper. When weathered chalcopyrite loses it's metallic luster, turning a gray-green color. When acids are present the tarnish can develop a red to blue to purple iridescence.