Native Sulphur

A large two-tone bright lemon-yellow Native Sulphur crystal sits in a bed of drusy, micro-crystalline creamy Calcite from the Cattolica sulphur mines in the Agrigento Province of Sicily, Italy.  These mines are near to the western coast of Sicily, an island dominated by its vulcanism.  The primary Native Sulphur crystal measures 2.4 x 1.7 x 1.4 and exhibits many well-developed faces, all with a bright yet greasy lustre.  The prism is translucent and divides between an acidic lemon body and a vibrant sherbet lemon end.  This is surrounded by druses of much smaller Sulphur crystals and the nicely contrasting Calcite.  The specimen is accompanied by two old labels, one hand written and one printed, both of which have seen better days.