Galena (2 generations) on Dolomite & Marcasite (Feist Coll.)

Item Description

Mineral specimens are RARE from this less well-known Viburnum Trend mine, compared to the nearby prolific Sweetwater, Brushy Creek and Buick mines. This is a dramatic and unique large two-sided combination from the West Fork Mine. A stunning, 2.2 cm, brilliant, sharp, modified compound 2nd-generation galena cube with beautiful light iridescence is dramatically perched atop the sculptural wedge of silicified limestone matrix. Aesthetically clustered below the cube are sharp, 1st-generation galena cuboctahedrons, to 1.5 cm, with pretty magenta iridesence (digenite? - listed by MINDAT for the Trend, but no examples shown). The matrix is festooned with tiny, sharp, lustrous, translucent dolomite rhombs and gray metallic marcasite. The back hosts a striking, RARE bonus. Hosting much more sparkly metallic marcasite with a nice field of dolomite rhombs, the raised marcasite ridge on the left has a RARE marcasite epimorph (cast) after a sharp 1.2 cm 1st-generation galena octahedron AND a sharp coated 1.3 cm octahedron! Fascinating paragenesis on this specimen. Probably mined in the 1990s, this UNIQUE combination is from the NW end of the 920' Level of the mine and was in the Dan Weinrich Collection. Ex George Feist Collection # 1885. Value? Hard to say, but $750-1000 for this exceptional large two-sided Viburnum Trend combination rarity seems fair.