Native Mercury - German classic
stock #23.FC-058
Moschellandsberg, Nordpfalzer, Donnersberg District
Rhineland-Palatinate,
Germany
2.7 x 1.7 x 1.2 CM (thumbnail)
price: $1450
Early summer 2023
A super rich specimen of Mercury in a cluster of globules on matrix. The Mercury is trapped in vugs and held by surface tension. The size of the Mercury is remarkable, unlike the tiny balls usually seen this can be seen by naked eye even quite far away. From the very ancient mines of Landsberg (Bavaria, Germany) that began in 1440 and worked until 1942, This is the most Mercury I have seen on a single specimen. The matrix seems to be a mixture of massive Cinnabar and or Metacinnabar. Very tiny micro-crystals of Calomel are noted and in a very tiny vug what seems to be Moschellandsbergite. The main attraction though is a series of globs of silvery Mercury. A fine vintage specimen and a excellent native metal piece.
A rarely seen native element, Mercury sometimes is found in oxidized parts of Cinnabar deposits. This is an incredibly rich piece with dozens of globules partly protruding from the matrix, The silvery globs are in some cases over 2-3 mm and very dense so easily seen on display, not like most pieces which are rather subtle. As is the case with all such specimens it has been sprayed with a non visible fixative to keep the droplets from shedding. There are a few tiny spots of silvery metallic Tiemannite which is a rare Mercury Selenide. The matrix is a shale with a few zones of bright red Cinnabar. Choice and not often available, this is a 1960's vintage specimen, the original label only gives the county as a locale but this looks like a perfect match for specimens from the Socrates Mine.
