Skutterudite

This fabulously crystallised specimen of Skutterudite is most unusual in that it forms cubic crystals, and extremely well-defined ones at that! This may seem an obvious statement considering Skutterudite is in the cubic (or isometric) system, but as collectors will know, it is seldom seen as simple equant cubes, but is common as the pentagon-dodecahedron. This specimen, from the Wolfgang Maaßen Mine Field in the Schneeberg District of Saxony, has cubic Skutterudite crystals to 1.5 cm on edge covering the top face of a mixed Quartz and metallic sulphide matrix containing what appears to be granular Pyrrhotite. A good German Skutterudite and excellent for its basic but rare crystallography.