Calcite

specimen number:
8171432

location:
Tonglushan mine, Daye Co., Huangshi, Hubei, China

description:

Glassy gem colorless to red crystals of calcite measuring to 5.3 cm in size scattered across the top of this matrix. This is in fantastic condition. This is from the major find of this material in 2018. This is the finest piece that we acquired in our large lot at that time. Brightly fluorescent under longwave ultraviolet light.

The Tonglushan mine, located near Daye in Hubei Province, China, is a world-renowned archaeo-metallurgical site and copper-iron deposit. Geologically, it is characterized as a skarn-type deposit formed by the intrusion of intermediate-felsic magma into carbonate rocks, producing rich zones of copper, iron, and associated skarn minerals. Its extensive oxidized zone has yielded exceptional secondary copper specimens, including fine crystals of malachite, azurite, and cuprite. Historically, Tonglushan represents one of China's most ancient and important mining complexes, with large-scale extraction dating back more than 2,000 years from the Shang Dynasty through the Han Dynasty, serving as a vital raw material source for early Chinese bronze civilization.

Questions about this specimen?
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