Stephanite

Stephanite is a rare silver-antimony sulphosalt which is named for Archduke Stephan Franz Victor von Habsburg-Lothringen (1817-1867).  The Archduke was a life-long mineral collector and also served as a mining engineer and Austrian Mining Director.  This small thumbnail, probably better termed a large micro-mount, is without doubt a case of quality, not quantity.  Measuring just 1.5 cm wide, this superb ex-matrix specimen is composed of intergrown Stephanite crystals, forming as stacked and individual crystals, the largest single crystal measuring 0.7 cm across.  They are all silver-black with subtle hints of iridescent peacock-blue and a characteristic metallic lustre.  This choice specimen provides a good opportunity for a collector to acquire a superb example of this rare sulphosalt from its type locality at Freiberg in Saxony, Germany.