Talmessite with Calcite

specimen number:
2341023

location:
Bou Azzer, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
Very good example for the species, purplish red crystal groupings of talmessite measuring to 1.5 cm in diameter across both sides of this pink botryoidal calcite crystal covered matrix. In good condition.

The Bou Azzer mining district in the Draa-Tafilalet region of Morocco is a globally unique geological setting characterized by Precambrian serpentinites and fault-controlled hydrothermal veins that host rare-element mineralization. Commercial mining operations began extensively in the twentieth century, focusing primarily on cobalt and nickel extraction, while the district's oxidized zones have concurrently yielded world-class mineral specimens for collectors. Among these secondary phases is talmessite, an uncommon arsenate mineral that frequently forms striking, highly prized spheroidal crusts or crystalline aggregates, often colored pink to deep red or yellowish-brown by trace amounts of cobalt and typically found alongside related cobalt and calcium arsenates in underground workings like the Aghbar mine.

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