Siderite on Calcite

A stunning cabinet specimen of superb Siderite crystals overgrowing dark, brownish-red scalenohedral Calcite crystals from the Schlema-Hartenstein Mining District of Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany; the mines here primarily produced silver and uranium. Scalenohedral Calcite crystals to 4 cm tall are coated (or possibly included) with an earthy, brick red Calcite layer with a micro-corroded texture, itself overgrow by scattered, individual, glassy zoned rhombic Calcite crystals averaging 1 mm. Overgrowing all of this are magnificent saucer-shaped lenticular Siderite crystals, all averaging around 1 cm and 1 to 2 mm thick. The Siderite is an opaque, caramel brown. Just for good measure, similar yet somewhat smaller disk-like Calcite crystals of matt pinkish-red are scattered amongst the Siderites and attached to the main Calcite crystals. There are no two ways about this, it’s an extraordinary example of Siderite and the Calcites are pretty good also! A truly great display specimen of Siderite on Calcite from Saxony.