Wulfenite

Classic, almost pseudocubic Wulfenite crystals of apricot and burnt toffee-orange to buttery-caramel and deep chocolate-brown are pleasingly arranged on a contrasting sparkling snow-white Calcite matrix.  This gorgeous specimen is from the Erupción mine at Los Lamentos in Mexico, a locality famous for its superb Wulfenite specimens.  Crystals of Wulfenite of up to 1 cm on edge are richly strewn over the Calcite’s surface.  The chunky, blocky crystals form sandwiched triple layers of alternating colours and these divide into two colour groups, each on opposite sides of the specimen.  Mainly on the Calcite are the apricot/burnt toffee-orange variety, with apricot forming the outer two layers.  More on the opposite side, where there is much less Calcite, the colour sequence has caramel as the two outer layers with a dark-chocolate filling.  All the Wulfenite crystals have a bright glassy lustre and range from translucent to semi-transparent.  A fine and great Wulfenite specimen from the Erupción mine.