Paralaurionite

specimen number:
2354073

location:
Touissit, Jerada, Oriental, Morocco

description:
Outstanding example for this rare mineral. The specimen consists of a mostly loose glassy and gem crystal with little attached matrix. Complete all around, this is in very good condition with just slight micro-damage present.

Located in the Oriental Region of northeastern Morocco, the famous Touissit-Bou Beker mining district consists of carbonate-hosted Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc deposits that underwent deep supergene oxidation. Extensive commercial lead and zinc underground mining flourished here throughout the mid-to-late twentieth century, producing exceptional world-class mineral specimens preserved by miners and collectors alike. Among the region's rare oxidation-zone finds was a single, historic discovery—generally reported in mineralogical literature around 1980 to 1981—that yielded extraordinarily large, sharp, translucent lamellar crystals of paralaurionite measuring up to 3 centimeters. While paralaurionite typically occurs worldwide only as microscopic crystals, this single find at Touissit redefined specimen quality for the species and remains legendary among mineral collectors.

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