Aikinite with Native Gold and Galena

Aikinite is an extremely rare lead-copper-bismuth sulphide often associated with precious metals and this miniature specimen comes from its type locality in the Berezovskii district of Ekaterinburg in the Middle Urals of Russia.  Also spelt Beryozovsky, this locality is famous as the type locality of Crocoite.  The mixture of minerals in this milky-white Quartz veinstone is complex and picking out individual species requires careful study and assistance from either a lens or low power microscope.  The Aikinite occurs as small black acicular crystals intergrown with dark grey Galena, milky Quartz, Native Gold and probable Chalcopyrite.  The Aikinite forms crystals to a few mm long and in one spot the crystals cross one another in a reticulated habit.  The Native Gold if well distributed throughout the specimen as bright buttery-gold blebs and specks, quite distinct from the pale golden sulphides present.  Interestingly, mindat notes many names have been used over the years for Aikinite, one of which was Patrinite, used by Haidinger in 1845.  Two old labels accompany this specimen, one of which is recoded as Patrinit (German spelling without the ‘e’).  A rare specimen of a rare species, seldom seen in collections.  This specimen is from the Dr Josef Clemente Collection of southern Germany.