Gallery
Wurtzite on Fluorite
ID:
CC13731
Beastly or beautiful, that is the question! Specimens of the zinc-iron sulphide Wurtzite overgrowing cubic crystals of Fluorite are so characteristic of the mines around Bere Alston near Tavistock in Devon, and in this case, East Tamar Consols. The River Tamar forms the county boundary between Cornwall and Devon in the south of these counties. A 0.8 to 2 cm thick shell-like crust of light chocolate-brown Wurtzite covers the crystal faces of blue and yellow Fluorite over an area of approximately 7.5 x 5 cm. From one side only the mamillated hillocks of the velvet-textured Wurtzite are visible, where on the reverse side, the underside of the Fluorite crystals is visible. Their lemon yellow and inky blue faces are just visible around the perimeter of the Fluorite where it contacts the Wurtzite. Having considered the initial question, I would say beautiful!