Calcite coated by Calcite (ex David Burgess Collection)

Item Description

The Denton Mine is world-famous for its beautiful, classic, large, multicolored Fluorite crystals, but it also produced attractive golden Calcite crystals (very similar to those from the Elmwood Mine in Tennessee). This specimen features several good sized, sharp, tapered, gemmy, fine golden colored, scalenohedral Calcite crystals measuring up to 6.7 cm associated with a secondary coating / overgrowth of pale cream colored Calcite. The primary Calcite crystals have a gorgeous stepped growth along the prisms, creating many attractive pointed terminations. I love how the golden crystals are peaking through the white overgrowth, almost like mountain tops covered with snow. Excellent condition all around, as I can't find any major damage outside of the periphery where the piece was removed from the pocket wall. Very attractive, and a very desirable specimen for any Calcite collector or a fan of southern Illinois material. Valued at $2,400. From the worldwide collection of David Burgess (1951-2016). David was a prolific species collector from Newington, Connecticut, and the namesake for the extremely rare cobalt arsenate species Burgessite, which he discovered.