Acanthite

specimen number:
2063331

location:
Imiter mine, Tinghir Cercle, Tinghir, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
Fine cluster of lustrous metallic acanthite crystals without matrix. There are several crystals in the cluster measuring to 2.0 cm in size. Nicely arranged and in very good condition. Good example for the species and locality. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The Imiter Mine, located in the Tinghir Cercle of the Draa-Tafilalet region within the Anti-Atlas Mountains of Morocco, is one of the largest and most famous primary silver producers in the world, with an operational history tracing back centuries and modern industrial extraction expanding significantly since the 20th century. Geologically, the deposit is a world-class Neoproterozoic epithermal vein system hosted within regional metamorphic black shales and Precambrian volcanic sequences, localized along major structural fault zones that facilitated ancient hydrothermal fluid flow. Mineralogically, the deposit is renowned for its exceptional concentrations of native silver and silver sulfosalts, including acanthite, polybasite, and imiterite, a rare silver-mercury sulfide first discovered and named after this specific locality.

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