MOSCHELLANDSBERGITE with CINNABAR and BARYTE

SPECIMEN DESCRIPTION

This interesting large miniature containing the mercury minerals Moschellandsbergite and Cinnabar is from the Frischer Mut mine at Stahlberg in the Donnersbergkreis district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The Cinnabar is quite obvious, forming a patchy covering all over the specimen and also included within Baryte which forms the majority of the matrix. Conversely, the Moschellandsbergite is more difficult to find and I used a stereo microscope for this purpose. I finally traced it tow two tiny vugs adjacent to each other, both of which are completely lined with micro-crystals of Moschellandsbergite, and let me place the emphasis on micro. However, do bear in mind that this silver-mercury alloy (or amalgam) is an exceptionally rare species and is priced well at $350. Another interesting feature is that in places the Baryte containing orange-red inclusion of Cinnabar displays what look to be macro-slickensides where local deformation has caused some mineralised planes to shear. The Frischer Mut mine was one of the most important mercury mines in the Stahlberg district, which itself lies close to the ancient mercury mining district of Landsberg in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, south-west of Frankfurt am Main. Moschellandsberg hill (now shortened to Landsberg), is within a region rich in mercury and mercury minerals, where mining began in around 1440. Because of mercury's unique property of being the only liquid metal at ambient conditions, it has been known since ancient times. This specimen is accompanied with two labels; one identified as the 'Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut der Universität Rostock', the other much older, penned in both black and red ink with a beautifully handwritten script. For any specimens containing mercury and or mercury bearing minerals, it is a sensible precaution to always wash your hands after handling.