KRC-30
Chalcocite (twinned) on Calcite
Levant Mine, Trewellard, St Just District, Cornwall, England, UK
Small Cabinet, 7.5 x 6.2 x 3.8 cm
Ex. British Museum of Natural History; Kay Robertson
SOLD
A CLASSIC, old-time Cornwall specimen featuring matte-black Chalcocite crystals to 2.1 cm with an unusual twin habit, and a very rare association on calcite matrix. The bladed Chalcocites are sharp, and feature broad striations, of which these 'channels' are undoubtedly related to the twinning that is occurring on the 110 plane. The Chalcocites rest on thin wafers of crystallized Calcite, and both the Chalcocites and Calcites have a red Hematite tinge to them. This rich, venerable combination piece from the historic Levant Mine has a fine provenance, having been in the collections of Boubee (sometime before 1980 : http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=216) and then the British Museum (via an "E. White") before entering Kay's collection. In the 1980s.