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Galena & Marcasite

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RSL544936

Galena & Marcasite

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Bou Nahas Mine, Oumjrane, Alnif, Tinghir Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco
Class: 
Crystals on Matrix
Size Range: 
Small cabinet (7-10 cm)
Size: 
9 × 6.3 × 4.7 cm
Largest Crystal: 
1.50cm
Description

Group of cube-octahedral galena crystals, brilliant, nice luster, defined faces and edges, and with a better quality than usual for the locality. They are disposed on a matrix covered by brilliant quartz crystals. Accompanied by aggregates of golden pyrite crystals, bright and sharp, and flattened brilliant twinned marcasite.
These mines are located approximately 50 km south of Alnif, near the border with Algeria. This area was already mined in medieval age for the extraction of copper. In the 60s of the last century, French companies expanded shafts and mineral extraction.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Galena

Formula: 
PbS
Strunz: 
2.CD.10
Crystal System: 
Isometric
Hardness: 
2.5
Colour: 
Lead-grey
Streak: 
Lead-grey

Marcasite

Formula: 
FeS2
Strunz: 
2.EB.10a
Crystal System: 
Orthorhombic
Hardness: 
6.0 - 6.5