Fluorite with Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2063737

location:
Freiberg, Saxony, Germany

description:
One side of matrix is covered with dark yellow glassy gemmy cubic crystals of fluorite measuring to 0.3 cm in size. Small golden crystals of chalcopyrite are scattered throughout. The specimen comes with a series of previous labels, one from the collection of Ray DeMark. A second label from the American dealer Minerals Unlimited in Berkeley, California. 1/3 label comes from noted German dealer Wilhelm Maucher. In good condition.

Freiberg, located in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony, Germany, is one of Europe's most famous historic mining districts with over eight centuries of silver and base metal production. Mining began around 1168 following the discovery of silver-bearing galena veins cutting through Precambrian gneiss bedrock. Over hundreds of years, hydrothermal mineral deposits within these fractures yielded vast quantities of silver, lead, and zinc, giving rise to the prestigious Bergakademie Freiberg in 1765 to advance mining engineering and mineralogy. Beyond its rich economic history, the Freiberg district is globally celebrated by collectors for producing world-class mineral specimens, including sharp argentite, lustrous pyrargyrite crystals, spectacular silver wires, step-grown fluorite, and high-quality galena and barite. Though commercial operations closed in the late twentieth century, Freiberg remains an iconic locality in classic European mineralogy.

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