Pääkkönenite

  

Much of the matrix is the pääkkönenite showing as grey, metallic, "wavy" crystals and is very rich. Kermesite can be seen as red crystals with valentinite as yellow crystals - both to about 1 mm.

  

The pääkkönenite occurs as silvery grey micro laths or platy crystals lining the entire walls of the large vug also hosting slender stibnite crystals to 1 cm. Valentinite occurs as a minor crust on the backsite.

  

Specimen of pääkkönenite as silvery grey platy micro crystals less than 0.5 mm making up most of matrix with hundreds of tiny yellow exceptional valentinite crystals on the the pääkkönenite and also associated with micro stibnite crystals.

  

Metallic gray pääkkönenite and stibnite matrix, these two sulphides are visually undiscernable. Associated with (red arrow) deep red acicular kermesite 1-2 mm long and (yellow arrow) yellow valentinite microcrystals.

Origin: Cai' ao mine, Danfong Co., Shaanxi Prov., China

Sample size: 3 x 2 x 2 cm (top), 6.5 x 4 x 3.5 cm (2nd row), 6 x 5 x 4 cm (3rd row), 3 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm (4th/bottom row)

 

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