Description

Beautiful, sharp, stacked calcite crystals with excellent lustre from Chenzhou. The key feature of these calcites is that they are in fact comprised of two generations of calcite – there is an internal core of a single white scalenohedral crystal, and it is overgrown by flattened calcite crystals. The flattened crystals have highly lustrous small prism faces. Looking down from the termination, there is a three-way pattern of oriented included pyrite (the person from whom I bought them said “Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz!”). This specimen is distinctive for its single large “capping” crystal, which makes it look a bit like a mushroom. The simple white core crystal is very obvious below and also visible through the cap under strong light. Lots of small, staggered, flattened crystals on the core. In excellent condition for the find – a couple of minor chips are not distracting the way I’d display it. (NB: the white flecks in the third photo are internal reflections, not surface damage.) One of the three “mushrooms” I obtained – truly distinctive and full of character.