Sphalerite, Barite & Calcite
Elmwood Mine
Smith County, Tennessee
7.8 cm x 6.7 cm x 2.8 cm
Here is one amazingly beautiful specimen of gem sphalerite with barite and calcite from the famous Elmwood Mine in Smith County Tennessee.
The specimen is just a mass of all gemmy sphalerite crystals, with very high luster, some up to 1.5 cm in length.
The color may seems dark and metallic, but when a light is focused on the sphalerite crystals, they come alive with a wonderful root beer to red coloring.
Looking closely at the crystals, there is some pretty remarkable stepped type growth faces visible.
To add to it's beauty, you have the ball of barite crystals that has a look like it exploded on to the specimen.
In addition, there are numerous scalenohedral Calcite crystals in varying sizes.
These crystals are deeper colored towards their tips and these darker ends are bright orange under longwave UV lighting.
The calcite also shows rainbow iridescence in most of the crystals.
A very beautiful multi mineral specimen from this famous mine.
