Galena with Calcite on Fluorite

Normally Fluorite hogs the limelight on specimens from the wonderful Blackdene mine, by the village of Ireshopeburn in Weardale, County Durham, but in this gorgeous specimen it is Galena which takes centre stage! Two magnificent cuboctahedral Galena crystals, tending towards dodecahedron-habits, nestle between a rim of pearlescent Calcite blades and two highly lustrous purple Fluorite crystals, of which the longest edge measures 2.5 cm. Along the contact between one Galena crystal and the Fluorite are small mounds of brassy micro-crystalline Pyrite. The Galena crystals measure 1.8 and 2.5 cm across at their widest points and are unoxidized, retaining their metallic silver lustre. A superb Galena from Blackdene mine with excellent Calcite and Fluorite.