Talc

specimen number:
2354150

location:
Zederhaus Valley, Lungau, Salzburg, Austria

description:
A superb example for the species, attractive light green crystals of talc measuring to 0.5 cm in size stacked up nicely from a thin matrix. This is in very good condition for this notoriously soft species. Talc normally does not show good crystals.

Situated within the central Eastern Alps of Salzburg, Austria, the Zederhaus Valley in the Lungau region features regional metamorphic rock sequences, including greenschists, carbonate rocks, and amphibolites, that developed distinct alpine-cleft mineralization. Historical resource extraction in the broader region dates back centuries to regional silver, gold, and iron operations, but the valley itself gained modern fame among collectors during infrastructure developments like the Tauern Highway (A10) rock cuts. Hydrothermal activity inside alpine fissures allowed for the exceptional growth of crystallized talc, a mineral that typically occurs only in fine-grained or massive form. Specimens from Zederhaus display rare, sharp, sea-foam green to pearly-white tabular plates and tufted crystal aggregates associated with calcite, tremolite, and quartz, making this locality globally celebrated among mineralogists for well-formed talc crystals.

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