Description
Detailed Description
The only matrix specimen in the lot, this is very unusual for Imiter acanthites – it features two prominent acanthite crystals (pseudomorphs after argentite) on greyish quartz, with minor galena and smaller acanthites. The largest acanthite crystal measures 1.7 cm. There is a growth-hollow on the left hand side of the large acanthite, and some minor quartz on its right-hand side – neither is damage. Great matrix acanthite!
About These Acanthites
Well-crystallized acanthite has never been common and most of the known localities for crystals are historic, making it difficult, and usually expensive, to obtain fine specimens. The finds at Imiter (Africa’s largest silver mine) in recent years have placed Imiter among the world’s best localities for crystallized acanthite. Although these crystals formed as argentite, argentite is not stable below 179C, at which point it changes to monoclinic acanthite. The specimens are acanthite pseudomorphs after argentite, retaining the isometric crystal form of the original argentite crystals. I assembled this lot of acanthites over a period of about two years. Most of these specimens, from the 2008 find, remained in Morocco until 2013.
