PYROMORPHITE
Specimen pym-14
$ 600.00Dims: 2.6x3.2x2.2" (6.6x8.1x5.5cm)
Wt: 14.66 oz. (414.9g)
Dao Ping Mine, Yang Suo Guang Xi Province, China
This is a wonderful and large pyromorphite specimen. The crystals are translucent, and most of them are the preferred pale-olive-green, although there is a smooth shading to a pale gray-green towards one side of the base of the specimen. The crystals individually have the classic pyromorphite shape (sometimes described as tapered pseudo-hexagonal barrel shaped), although the arborescent branching is not here. Rather, many crystals simply rise from the matrix, and others are in somewhat radial clusters. Some of the crystals are curved and approach 2cm in length. At one end (or the top, depending upon your viewpoint) there is a relatively large cluster creating a "C" shaped specimen. There is a large amount of pyromorphite here, and the crystals are relatively large. They are undamaged, except at the edges, although there is an odd pattern in the center of the largest cluster making it look like some central crystals are missing, and some bent. My examination suggests that if this happened, it was during the formation of the specimen, as the crystals are all firmly attached and there is no sign of cleavage or parting. It is possible that some other mineral interferred with crystal growth, and since disolved away. In any case, this is a great cabinet specimen of pyromorphite.