TERRIUM — A mineralogy cabinet


Calcita Ahumada

Calcita is a mineral with formula CaCO₃, in the Carbonatos group. This specimen comes from Brushy Creek Mine, Reynolds County, Greeley, Missouri, Estados Unidos and joined the Terrium collection in 1994.

Calcita Ahumada from Brushy Creek Mine, Reynolds County, Greeley, Missouri, Estados Unidos — Terrium

Description

Two principal scalenohedral crystals in smoky grey tones. The larger bears a very dense coating of marcasite microcrystals speckled with chalcopyrite. Resting on it is a smaller scalenohedral crystal, clean, well defined, and without metallic coating. On the back a third crystal appears, flatter and opaque, partially concealed by the matrix. The group has architectural presence and volume.

History of this specimen

This piece comes from material recovered during the contract mining campaign in Drift #106 at Brushy Creek in 1994, which yielded about twenty-four tonnes of calcites with marcasite and chalcopyrite.

About Calcita

Classic Brushy Creek material in which marcasite and chalcopyrite typically form thin metallic coatings on smoky calcite scalenohedra. In many specimens, as in this one, a two-stage development is evident: the original scalenohedra were first coated by chalcopyrite, and subsequently calcite regrew over them, leaving perfectly formed visible crystals. This growth pattern is one of the most characteristic features.

About the locality

Brushy Creek is a mine in the Viburnum Trend, known for its lead and zinc sulphides and for grey calcites with metallic coatings.

Technical data

Catalogue No.
0256
Composition
CaCO₃
Name
Calcita
Variety
Ahumada
Group
Carbonatos
Category
Meritum Persé
Associations
marcasita calcopirita
Mine
Brushy Creek Mine
District / Municipality
Reynolds County
Province
Greeley
Region
Missouri
Country
Estados Unidos
Size (cm)
6 x 4 x 3
Weight
57.8 g
Acquired
1994
Ex-collection
Sergio Petetrich
Etymology
From the Greek "chalix", lime.
Quality
Muy buena
Value trend
Estable

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