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This Specimen has been sold.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER SIMILAR FOSSILS FOR SALE
2.5" Lustrous, Translucent Sphalerite Crystals with Galena - Peru
This is a lustrous cluster of translucent, red-orange sphalerite crystals from Peru. The sphalerite formed in association with galena and measures 2.5" wide. Under shortwave ultraviolet light, the sphalerite crystals exhibit a slight red fluorescence.
Galena is a lead-based mineral and the primary ore of lead, and has been used for its lead content for thousands of years. Galena typically displays a gray metallic luster and forms cubes or octahedral crystals. The chemical composition of galena is PbS.
While galena will not pose a health hazard by sitting on the shelf or even from casual handling, we suggest washing hands following handling due to the mineral's lead content.
While galena will not pose a health hazard by sitting on the shelf or even from casual handling, we suggest washing hands following handling due to the mineral's lead content.
Sphalerite is a part of the sulfide group and typically exhibits a grey/black appearance due to high concentrations of impurities. In its purest state, sphalerite's chemical composition is ZnS, and can display a gemmy transparent light tan/yellow color. This is one of the few minerals that can form crystals ranging anywhere between gemmy and transparent to opaque and metallic-like. Opaque or cloudy sphalerite tends to be most abundant since iron easily replaces zinc in the process of formation.
