- Stone type
- Natural sphalerite with galena and pyrite
- Weight
- 178g
- Size
- 70x55x31mm
- Color
- Dark grey with brass-yellow
- Cut
- Rough
- Clarity
- Opaque
- Treatment
- Untreated
- Origin
- Bulgaria
- Hardness
- 2.5-6.5
Natural Sphalerite Galena and Pyrite Cluster Crystal from Bulgaria 178g
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A compact, solid block of ore with three minerals sharing the surface. Most of it is dark grey to black sphalerite in blocky crystals with fine parallel striations across their faces and a bright submetallic sheen. Galena crystals sit among them in a paler steel-grey, showing flat stepped faces. On the upper left a patch of pyrite stands out in warm brass-yellow, a small cluster of sharp crystals that carries the only real color on the piece.
Pyrite, galena and sphalerite are the standard trio of the Bulgarian lead-zinc veins in the Rhodope Mountains, and having all three cleanly crystallized on one hand-sized block is what makes a piece like this useful in a collection. Untreated. Hardness runs from 2.5 for the galena to 6.5 for the pyrite, so the softer galena sets the handling limit, and at 70mm the block sits comfortably in the palm.
Natural sphalerite, galena and pyrite, 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.
- Handle with careThis specimen contains galena, a lead sulfide. Handling it is fine, but wash your hands afterwards, never lick or chew it, keep it away from children and pets, and never grind or sand it.
- Keep dryThis specimen contains metallic sulfides such as pyrite or chalcopyrite, which can tarnish or slowly decay in damp air. Do not wash it: dust it with a soft brush or air blower, dry it at once if it gets wet, and store it somewhere dry, ideally with a silica gel sachet.
- Hardness
- 2.5-6.5
- Cleavage
- Varies
- Durability
- Fair
- Soapy water
- Avoid
- 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.
Cleaning
Do not wash it. Dust it with a soft, dry brush or an air blower, and keep it dry. 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: 70 × 55 × 31 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.
