Vaesite with Dolomite, Quartz

specimen number:
2354146

location:
Castelluccio di Moscheda, Montese, Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

description:
Several very tiny sharp octahedral crystals of metallic vaesite measuring less than 0.1 cm in size on a matrix of crystallized dolomite and quartz. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Eric Laskowski.

Located in the Northern Apennines within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Castelluccio di Moscheda near Montese features a small, hydrothermalized ophiolitic outcrop surrounded by chaotic clayey matrix formations. Known particularly for the Sasso delle Lucine site, the area holds historical significance for mineralogists and local field collectors due to the late hydrothermal fluids that altered the ultramafic host rock, creating micro-cavities rich in specialized metallic sulfides and hydroxides. Among these occurrences is vaesite, a rare nickel sulfide structurally equivalent to pyrite, which was first documented at this locality in 1970. At Castelluccio di Moscheda, vaesite typically manifests as minute, steel-gray to black metallic octahedral or cubic micro-crystals associated with quartz, dolomite, millerite, and jamborite, making the site famous for producing outstanding micromount specimens despite the absence of large-scale commercial mining.

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