- Stone type
- Natural sphalerite with galena and quartz
- Weight
- 400g
- Size
- 82x80x46mm
- Color
- Dark grey with silver and white
- Cut
- Rough
- Clarity
- Translucent
- Treatment
- Untreated
- Origin
- Bulgaria
- Hardness
- 2.5-7
Natural Sphalerite, Galena and Quartz Cluster from Bulgaria 400g
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A compact, near-cubic block covered on every visible face with crystals. Dark grey-black sphalerite makes up the bulk, its crystals blocky and finely striated, and set through them are galena crystals that come up much brighter, in clean steel-grey with broad flat faces. Colorless quartz crystals fill the spaces between, small and sharply pointed, with a cream-white patch of coarser quartz at the upper right corner and a scattering of brassy pyrite specks low on the left.
Sphalerite, galena and quartz are the three constants of the Bulgarian lead-zinc veins in the Rhodope Mountains, and a block like this with all three well crystallized on several faces at once makes a useful reference piece. Untreated. Galena is 2.5 on the Mohs scale, sphalerite 3.5 to 4 and quartz 7. At 400g and 82mm it is a good size to pick up and turn.
Natural sphalerite, galena and quartz cluster, 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.
- 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: 82 × 80 × 46 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.
