Acanthite
stock #AX-22-175
San Juan de Rayas Mine - Level 407
Guanajuato,
Mexico
2.2 x 1.3 x .6 CM (thumbnail)
price: $140
new year 2021
Branching crystals of Acanthite forming a tree-like thumbnail with very bright metallic luster. Complete all around, undamaged and pretty. A very good yet still affordable Silver specie from the famed Guanajuato deposit. This area has been continuously mined for Silver since the discovery in 1585, and this was the world's largest producer for many years. Amazingly there are still a few operating mines and Silver minerals are still found though far less than before.
Acanthite and Polybasite on Quartz
stock #18.1-190
San Juan de Rayas Mine, Municipio de Guanajuato
Guanajuato,
Mexico
5.7 x 4.4 x 2.3 CM (cabinet)
price: $440
Spring update
A melted look sculpture of Acanthite crystals on Quartz also holds a few small Polybasite crystals in sharp hexagons. Choice older piece from the San Juan de Reyas mine in Guanajuato. In excellent condition as seen and with a nice dark metallic patina. Under 20 X magnification I can see glints of blood red color that indicates at least a tiny bit of Ruby Silver (Pyrargryite) is also present but very small.
Acanthite (chain growth of stacked octahedra)
stock #7.AE-171
Imiter Mine, Imiter Mining Dist., Tinghir Province
Souss- Massa- Draa Region,
Morocco
7.4 x 2.7 CM (cabinet)
price: $400
Spring 2013
Some of the weirdest habit Silver minerals and especially Acanthites have come out of Morocco from time to time. This is a very nice example with a sizable chain of oriented stacked octahedrons that displays very well. Somewhat crude as are all of these but undamaged and a complete floater. This came out over two decades ago. The new restrictions have cut off most everything from these great silver mines.
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