Description

Silver-coloured botryoidal arsenic from the classic occurrence in the prolific historic mining district of  Pribram. At the edges, of the specimen, one can see the concentric growth pattern of the arsenic.

The accompanying label suggests the possible presence of stibarsen (a mineral which is an alloy of arsenic and antimony) with the arsenic. (Although there is no older label with this specimen, many older botryoidal specimens from Pribram were labeled “allemontite”, an historic name for stibarsen). It is possible that very minor stibarsen could be present in this specimen, but it is likely that the specimen is primarily or entirely arsenic.

From the Tracy Kimmel Collection (acquired from Dr. Peter Kolesar of Germany, and his label is included with the specimen). If you’ve read my article about Tracy (link below), you’ll know that arsenic-bearing minerals became one of her two primary collecting passions, and she had many wonderful and diverse specimens! This is a very cool classic arsenic.

About Tracy Kimmel (click here)

PLEASE NOTE:  I know it goes without saying, but arsenic is poisonous and should be handled with reasonable care. From mindat’s arsenic page entry: “Wash hands after handling. Avoid generating and inhaling dust when handling, breaking, grinding or cutting. Never lick or ingest.” All excellent rules to live by. As I’ve written elsewhere on this site, it is important to take safety precautions in respect of minerals and mineral collecting, and I encourage you to read the Important Safety Information page if you haven’t already.