Detailed information
Dimensions
95 x 122 x 109
mm
Weight
594 g
Locality
Herja Mine Chiuzbaia, Baia Mare Maramureș, Romania
Condition
No recorded repairs
For over a century (during most of the 20th century) the Herja mine near Baia Mare, Maramureș, Romania produced remarkable crystallized lead- and antimony-bearing sulphosalt species, some of which are dramatically delicate in their form. This superb, cabinet-sized display specimen features two of the acicular species: Stibnite and Boulangerite. Always more delicate, the Boulangerite forms compact, grey metallic rounded aggregates composed of fine, feathery acicular crystals, with more prominent larger divergent sprays of dark grey metallic Stibnite on top. The largest Stibnite aggregate reaches 4 cm in length and is unusually inverted - the crystals having grown into the surface of the specimen from a point off to one side. The crystals are also unusually finely acicular compared with the thicker bladed Stibnite usually seen from Romanian occurrences. In addition to the sulphosalts there are many small Quartz crystals scattered upon the surface. As with many sources of fine minerals, now that the mine has been closed for some years the supply of specimens is restricted to the recycling of older collections. A fine and beautiful classic from this famous Eastern European mine.
