UTR21-67
Native Arsenic and Calcite
Pribram, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic
Cabinet, 15.1 x 9.0 x 5.7 cm
Ex. Chet Lemanski; M. S. Leger
$3,200.00 $2,400.00
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Pribram is a renowned and historic mining town and has produced a plethora of mineral species over many centuries of production, including great native Arsenic specimens like this one. Sadly, most went into the smelter, especially long ago. But, some few were saved. This massive, large, elongated display specimen is incredibly dense and hefty (1900 grams - almost 2 kilos!). It consists of alternating layers of contrasting white Calcite and dark, dull metallic gray Arsenic, culminating in a top display surface made up of hummocky botryoids of Arsenic. Its an excellent display example of the species from the Chester Lemanski collection, shockingly beautiful for such a "rare ugly" as we might call it. A former Pequa Rare Minerals specimen (Josef Vajdak) from the Joe Cilen collection (#18,201). Josef specialized in minerals of the Czech region, particularly Pribram, and had close ties to all old museums there. Vajdakite was named after him for his efforts in Czech mineralogy, in fact.