Sphalerite (Cleophane)

Item Description

I love gem quality Sphalerite as it's one of the few transparent sulfides out there. Bulgaria has been a source of some of the best gem quality Sphalerite crystal for many years. The locals still refer to this material as "Cleophane" which is an archaic term for gem quality yellow, green or colorless Sphalerite and was once a valid species, but is now defined as a variety of Sphalerite. This piece is loaded with dozens of incredibly sharp, HIGHLY lustrous, very well-formed complex crystal groups of Sphalerite - with individual crystal measuring up to about 7 mm - sitting on Quartz on matrix. The Sphalerites show an amazing glowing green hue when backlit, and most of them are virtually 100% WATER CLEAR. It's incredibly difficult to photograph this material, and this one looks much better in person. This color is highly desirable for Sphalerite, and is not commonly seen for the species around the world, especially in such tremendously fine crystallized examples. Priced at $1,800 in the inventory.