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Gold With Siderite & Quartz & Pyrrhotite & Cubanite & Calcite

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LGM831512

Gold With Siderite & Quartz & Pyrrhotite & Cubanite & Calcite

ex Chr. Rewitzer, Germany
Classic Locality

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Description
Locality: 
Morro Velho Mine, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Class: 
Crystals on Matrix
Size Range: 
Small cabinet (7-10 cm)
Size: 
3.5 × 7.5 × 3.5 cm
Weight: 
98.00gr
Description

The Morro Velho mine is well-known for its exceptional siderite specimen, oftenly associated with pyrrhotite and cubanite. Less known is that Morro Velho was a gold mine - even the world's oldest continually producing gold mine, started in 1725. Until 1960, it produced about 450 tons of gold. The mine includes the Mina Velha and Mina Grande deposits. In 1997, the Mina Grande workings were abandoned after reaching a depth of 2,453 m below the surface at level 27. At the same time, the Mina Velha workings were 518 m deep and still producing.

Gold specimens were very scarce and mostly from old times, but featured on-grown gold crystals in interesting associations.
Here is a fine specimen hosting a a gold crystal together with pyrrhotite, siderite, quartz, dolomite and cubanite needles scattered on the quartz (pic 6 & 7). In addition, you can see very nicely the surface of the cleft more or less perpendicular to the foliage structure (pic 8).
This is really rare and extremely hard-to-get material.

The base is sawn.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Gold

Formula: 
Au
Strunz: 
1.AA.05
Crystal System: 
Isometric
Hardness: 
2.5 - 3.0

Siderite

Formula: 
FeCO3
Strunz: 
5.AB.05
Crystal System: 
Trigonal
Hardness: 
3.5 - 4.5
Streak: 
White

Quartz

Formula: 
SiO2
Strunz: 
4.DA.05
Crystal System: 
Trigonal
Hardness: 
7.0
Streak: 
White

Pyrrhotite

Formula: 
Fe1-xS (x = 0 to 0.17)
Strunz: 
2.CC.10
Crystal System: 
Monoclinic
Hardness: 
3.5 - 4.0

Cubanite

Formula: 
CuFe2S3
Strunz: 
2.CB.55a
Crystal System: 
Orthorhombic
Hardness: 
3.5
Type Locality: 
Barracanao (Baracoa), Moa-Baracoa District, Mayarí-Baracoa Belt, Holguín Province, Cuba

Calcite

Polymorph of: 
Aragonite and Vaterite
Formula: 
CaCO3
Strunz: 
5.AB.05
Crystal System: 
Trigonal
Hardness: 
3.0
Streak: 
White

Seller Information

Payment options: offline, paypal_wpp, paypal_wps

Seller's terms and conditions

Thank you for viewing my auctions! Maintaining high standards in customer service is extremely important to me. If shipping takes longer than expected, please contact me. It is possible to file an investigation request, and during nearly ten years of e-rocks NO parcel was finally lost.

If for any reason you are not happy with any aspect of your transaction, please let me know as soon as possible, ideally within 1 week of receiving your specimen.

I will happily do all in my power to resolve the situation to your satisfaction.

+++IMPORTANT+++
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Within EU countries, bank transfer is also possible but not mandatory. I will offer free shipping or a discount in some cases. Please ask after receiving your invoice.

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