Stephanite

A superb specimen of crystallised Stephanite, a silver-antimony sulfosalt from Niederschlema in the Schlema-Hartenstein District of Saxony.  The specimen is composed of crude hexagonal crystals to around 1.6 cm high by 1 cm across, in parallel alignment and with vaguely hollow, hopper-like cores.  These composite hexagonal crystals are built from roughly 1 mm sized Stephanite crystals; the whole specimen being metallic black with an overall steely-blue lustre.  The Stephanite sits on a micro-crystallised granular sulphide matrix of dull greenish-bronze; possibly fine-crystallised and tarnished Chalcopyrite.  An amazing specimen of Stephanite.