Dolomite

Spain is renowned for its magnificent Dolomite crystals and the area around Eugui, southeast of San Sebastian, has produced some of the best.  It is one thing seeing photographs of these crystals but to hold one, well, they really are quite remarkable.  This beautiful example is a small cabinet specimen of completely colourless Dolomite forming interpenetrant rhombohedral crystals with razor-sharp edges. The crystallography is complex, with one rhomb projecting out from one face to form a smaller rhombohedral extension, similar to what we rarely see in fluorite crystals when developed in a Cornish engine house style with an extended ‘chimney’.  The prisms do contain slightly cloudy zones making not gem-perfect, but in many areas, small print text can be read perfectly through them!