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Baryte & Pyrite On Quartz Psm Calcite

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CLB185766

Baryte & Pyrite On Quartz Psm Calcite

ex collection Jörg Wenzel
Pseudomorph

Description Tabs

Description
Locality: 
Minei Hill, Baia Sprie Mine, Baia Sprie, Maramureș County, Romania
Size Range: 
Cabinet (10-18 cm)
Size: 
12 × 11.5 × 7.2 cm
Description

Fantastic old specimen. The pictures can't do it any justice. Hard to picture all the details.
The base were skalenohedral calcite crystals, which have been replaced by quartz (with an intermediate change to dolomite, I presume). The backside shows some minor sphalerite and pyrite.
Very fine quartz crystals were then 'sprouting' from the pseudomorphs, all topped by creamy colored translucent to transparent, platy baryte and a few pyrite crystals.
Very good luster all over. Very aesthetic. One of the nicest Romanian specimen I ever had in my hands.
The "Minei Hill" area was located about 3 km north of Baia Sprie. Open mining for gold and silver ore started at the first half of the 12th century and later was worked in 1768 to the 1950ies. All closed for a long time now. Material from there is very scarce.

Mineral Data
What's on the rock

Baryte

Formula: 
BaSO4
Strunz: 
7.AD.35
Hardness: 
3.0 - 3.5
Streak: 
White

Pyrite

Formula: 
FeS2
Strunz: 
2.EB.05a
Crystal System: 
Isometric
Hardness: 
6.0 - 6.5

Quartz

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

Calcite

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

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