Calcite with Goethite, Pyrite

specimen number:
2341350

location:
Agoudal Mine, Tansifte Caidat, Agdz Cercle, Zagora, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
Interesting combination specimen with colorless to slightly reddish-brown lustrous translucent scalenohedral calcite crystals, the largest measuring to 2.0 cm in size, on one half of a matrix of crystallized pyrite. This pyrite is almost completely covered by small lustrous balls of goethite. In good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jan Erik Larsen and dates to 2011.

The Agoudal Mine, located within the Tansifte Caidat, Agdz Cercle, Zagora Province of the Draa-Tafilalet region in Morocco, sits inside the famous Bou Azzer mining district, a unique Precambrian inlier characterized by serpentinites and complex hydrothermal vein systems rich in cobalt, nickel, and arsenic. Mining and prospecting in this arid region span decades, initially driven by industrial metal extraction, but the locality has since achieved global renown among mineral collectors for yielding world-class specimen material. Within the oxidized zones of these ore bodies, weathering transforms primary metal assemblages into striking secondary minerals, most notably erythrite. Commonly known as cobalt bloom, erythrite develops as vibrant crimson to deep pink crystalline crusts, radial rosettes, and prismatic tufts that contrast sharply against dark rock matrices, making specimens from Agoudal highly prized by museum curators and private collectors alike.

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