Siderite & Calcite (Ref: 7224)

Despite Siderite is merely an iron carbonate, the overall aesthetic impressed me from the very first glance at this remarkably beautiful small cabinet sized combination piece. It is an extraordinary, stunning specimen entirely composed of lustrous Siderite crystals forming smoothly curved rhombic prisms. The crystals measure a maximum of an impressive 3.8 cm in diameter, and at the center of the piece is a wonderful, satin-lustrous Calcite cluster consisting of frosted, doubly terminated flattened rhombs. This circumstance gives the piece wonderful contrast and dramatic. These Siderite crystals from Hüttenberg in Carinthia, Austria, are typically olive-green with a fine translucency. Upon closer inspection with slight magnification, one can see the intergrown, minimally curved and slightly offset corners of the crystals. This specimen is of absolutely outstanding quality, and the minor bruising here and there doesn´t detract from the great overall aesthetics.