Alabandite

A terrific specimen of the rare manganese sulphide Alabandite from the Zinc Corporation mine at Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.  This specimen is composed entirely of matt, sooty dark chocolate and black Alabandite plumose sprays forming a V-shaped herring-bone pattern.  Individual crystals are to around 3 cm long and on one face, sub-mm lustrous Pyrite crystals form two small patches on the Alabandite.  A superb specimen of this rare Broken Hill species.