Native Silver on Calcite

A delightful specimen of crystallised wire Native Silver emerging from and contorting over a matrix of snow-white Calcite capping a base of mixed sulphides, most likely including silver sulphides and sulphosalts.  This lovely specimen is from the world-famous Freiberg mining district around Erzgebirge in Saxony, Germany. The Native Silver wires, especially the thicker ones, are built from individual strands twisted around one another to form a single, strong thick strand.  The appearance is analogous to wire rope, the cable of which is spun from smaller individual wires.  The highlight is a single wire, about 1 mm in diameter, which loops over the crest of the specimen and then reattaches to the Calcite matrix.  An excellent and beautiful Freiberg Native Silver.