SM23-158
Pyrrhotite and Fluorite with Calcite
Bairendaba Mine, Hexigten Banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, China
Cabinet, 12.5 x 8.0 x 4.8 cm
$6,500.00 Payment Plan Available
Order Now

China for some reason was not known for pyrrhotite, let alone world class examples that could rival those from Dalnegorsk in Russia, until now! We actually were the first to bring out this new find of pyrrhotite back in 2019, and later a pocket combining golden pyrrhotite of world class quality with purple fluorite. In 2020, Another new style came out — a combination with multicolored fluorite as you see here! This specimen features gorgeous, machined-looking pyrrhotite to nearly 5 cm combined with fluorite to 2 cm, and accented by little calcite crystals. The combination is what is important, accenting the golden crystals with color and contrast. As a bonus, this takes a gorgeous fluorescent photo with the calcite going red-orange in shortwave UV light (see photo). Although labeled in much of the market in China as coming from some new mine in the Chifeng district, we were told specifically that it came from one of the silver mines in Weilasituo, not far away. It seems like the miners were from there, but it was actually from yet another nearby economic ore deposit, that had been producing specimens quietly for years and seeing them go out into the food chain with the vague place info. Mineralogical Record recently published a wonderful article on the locality, clarifying the origin as well. As a bonus, the specimen is published in a full page spread in the Bairendaba (China) issue of Mineralogical Record, on page 357 (May 2023). It is a great example in size class and has no repairs.