Hubeite with Quartz, Pyrite and Calcite

Hubeite is a rare Ca-Mn-Fe sorosilicate and was only named in 2001 after Hubei Province in China.  This very impressive and imposing specimen is from its type locality at the Fengjiashan mine (also known as the Daye copper mine), in Daye County, Hubei Province.  This roughly circular and domed specimen is built from a complex entanglement of milky-Quartz crystals of typically less than 1 cm but with the odd glassy translucent Quartz crystal of up to 3 cm tall.  Scattered over these are numerous small clusters and books of dark clove-brown Hubeite as acicular crystals, appearing from a distance as dark chocolate-brown to almost black.  Between these and the Quartz are many lustrous golden Pyrite crystals as cubes, elongated cubes and cubes modified to the cuboctahedron.  An excellent specimen of Hubeite from its type locality.