HUGE SILVER MATRIX SPECIMEN - spinel-twinned (classic locale)

Item Description

A dramatic and sculptural large pod of crystallized silver on matrix from the historic mines at Pribram. The impressive tree-shaped dense nest is 11.7 cm tall x 9.8 cm wide and is up to 4.5 cm thick and rests on a thin laminated matrix. The acanthite-coated silver crystals are hackly spinel-twins with many having striking herringbone patterns. The faint pink on one side is probably native arsenic. The silver was etched out of the enclosing calcite visible on one side. While these are not particularly rare - many came out in the Soviet era - large and aesthetic specimens, such as this, are certainly uncommon. Mass is 595 grams and is mostly silver. Valued $3500-4500