Calcite on Quartz

A bed of Quartz veinstone, the upper surface of which is covered with groups of curved, buff-tan Calcite crystals which form delightfully aesthetic folded, sinusoidal sprays and rosette’s, sometimes named “Levant Roses”. This cabinet specimen is from the Levant Section of Geevor mine at Pendeen and close to St. Just in Cornwall, England. The underlying Quartz crystals, developed up to 1.5 cm high, have a dark chocolate brown surface layer with a hint of maroon, probably a very dark variety of Eisenkiesel. The rather gorgeous specimen comes with a highly detailed collector’s label recording the specimen was mined between 1969 and 1986.