Calcite with Siderite and Quartz

An eye-catching, small cabinet specimen of Calcite with Quartz and Siderite from near the German village of Neudorf in the Harz district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. This was a silver and lead mining area working a complex mineralised fault swarm which included Calcite-Quartz-Siderite veins, this being a good representative example from one. The milky white, opaque Calcite forms blocky crystals predominantly all in alignment to one another. They are typically 2.5 cm across and display slightly distorted rhombohedral habits, some with partial nail-head terminations. Scattered over all the Calcite is a liberal dusting of sparkling micro-crystals of Quartz and odd small clusters of sooty black Siderite crystals.