- Stone type
- Natural cleiophane (green sphalerite) with quartz
- Weight
- 15g
- Size
- 46x33x11mm
- Color
- White with olive-green
- Cut
- Rough
- Clarity
- Opaque
- Treatment
- Untreated
- Origin
- Bulgaria
- Hardness
- 2.5-7
Natural Cleiophane Green Sphalerite with Quartz Cluster Crystal from Bulgaria 15g
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A thin, flaring plate of white sugary quartz with cleiophane crystals set across it like studs. A tight group of olive-green crystals sits at the upper left, and from there a line of separate crystals runs out to the right, each a small stepped block in olive to yellow-green with a bright glassy surface. Three or four small grey galena crystals are dotted between them. The wide white ground keeps every crystal clearly separated, so the whole piece is easy to take in at a glance.
Cleiophane is the low-iron green sphalerite, and against a white quartz crust the color shows at its clearest. Bulgaria's Rhodope lead-zinc mines are a steady source of it. Untreated. Sphalerite is 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale and quartz 7. At 11mm thick this is a flat plate, best displayed lying face-up.
Natural cleiophane green sphalerite with quartz, Bulgaria, single piece.
We ship worldwide from Sofia, Bulgaria. Every order is packed in a protective box with bubble wrap. Orders within Bulgaria are dispatched within 1-2 business days and international orders within 2-3 business days. Free shipping is applied automatically at checkout, and the threshold applies to the order value after any discounts.
Delivery within Bulgaria
- Delivered by Speedy, Econt or Box Now, to a courier office, a locker or your address.
- Fixed prices: Box Now locker €1.60 (free on orders from €25), Speedy office €3.20, Econt office or locker €4.00, Speedy to your address €4.50.
- Free shipping on orders over €50, with any courier and at any weight.
- Cash on delivery is available.
- Delivery normally takes 1-2 business days after dispatch.
- Hardness
- 2.5-7
- Cleavage
- Varies
- Durability
- Fair
- Soapy water
- Rinse only
- Ultrasonic
- Avoid
- Steam
- Avoid
About this specimen
This specimen combines several minerals that grew together, each with its own hardness and weak spots, so treat it as gently as its softest part. Here soft minerals such as galena, calcite or sphalerite (hardness 2.5 to 4) sit right next to hard quartz (7).
Cleaning
Rinse it briefly in lukewarm water, loosen dirt with a soft brush and let it air-dry. Do not scrub the crystals. Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaners: they can loosen crystals and open cracks between the different minerals.
Wear and storage
Store it padded and apart from other specimens, so its edges and faces do not chip or scratch. Lift it by its base or matrix, not by the crystals. It is soft enough to be scratched by a fingernail, so handle it as little as possible.
Scale
True to scale: 46 × 33 × 11 mm
Shown next to a €1 coin (23.25 mm) in the exact ratio, so you can picture the real size. The outline is approximate.
