Calcite

The Příbram mining district in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic is well known for its huge range in Calcite morphology and a whole collection could be built on this alone. This small cabinet, dome-shaped mass of stacked nail-head crystals with deep salmon pink inclusions is simply a delight, no matter what your collecting criteria! The nail-head crystals are horizontally-set, flattened rhombic prisms displaying a three-fold trigonal symmetry, both colourless and gemmy and averaging 8 to 10 mm in diameter. These stack vertically on top of one another forming pagoda-like towers made all the more aesthetic by their deep pink vertical cores, a result of iron staining. It’s a thing of beauty, accompanied by the previous German collector’s label.