Calcite

Equant dodecahedral Calcite crystals to 8 mm diameter line two vugs is a granular creamy-tan Calcite matrix from the Dillenburg District in Hesse, Germany.  The larger of the vugs measures 3 x 2 cm, the smaller, 1 x 1 cm and the Calcite crystals lining them are translucent cream with frosted pentagonal and hexagonal faces.  This is an ex. Archduke Stephan Franz Victor von Habsburg-Lothringen specimen.  It is accompanied by one of his smaller sized labels, although the four edges have been trimmed back to snugly fit within a card specimen box!  Such label trimming took place once the collection was moved to the Natural History Museum of Berlin.  Despite this, the accompanying label is still delightful and is almost complete, measuring 7.1 x 4.8 cm.  This, together with the matching catalogue label glued to the specimen’s base is number 75/241.  Also glued to the base is a Carl Rumpff label, a German industrialist who bought the collection.