- Stone type
- Natural sphalerite with quartz
- Weight
- 44.4g
- Size
- 41x39x22mm
- Color
- Near-black
- Cut
- Rough
- Clarity
- Opaque
- Treatment
- Untreated
- Origin
- Bulgaria
- Hardness
- 3.5-4
Natural Sphalerite Cluster with Quartz Crystals from Bulgaria 44.4g
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A small block almost entirely made of sphalerite, its crystals tightly interlocked and grown out into a rough, knobbly surface. The color is near-black with a dark steel-grey cast, and the luster is strong, glassy to submetallic, so the crystal faces stand out clearly against the deeper hollows between them. A few brighter silver galena patches sit among them, and a single small white quartz growth on the right edge is the only pale note on the piece.
Sphalerite this dark is iron-rich, at the opposite end of the range from the pale green cleiophane that comes out of the same Bulgarian workings. From the Rhodope lead-zinc field. Untreated. Sphalerite is 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, so it is soft, and at 41mm and 44.4g this is a compact hand or tray specimen.
Natural sphalerite cluster 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
- 3.5-4
- 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 softer than a steel knife, so keep metal tools and harder stones away from it.
Scale
True to scale: 41 × 39 × 22 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.
