Berthierite

specimen number:
2312166

location:
Herja mine, Maramures Co., Romania

description:
Superb example for the species, this a cluster of needlelike metallic slightly iridescent berthierite crystals. In great condition For the species.

The Herja Mine, located in Maramures County, Romania, is a historic underground mining site with centuries of activity focused on base and precious metal extraction. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the Neogene volcanic belt of the Eastern Carpathians, where complex hydrothermal veins cutting through sedimentary and volcanic host rocks formed rich epithermal orebodies. The mineralizing solutions deposited significant quantities of lead, zinc, and copper sulfides alongside gangue minerals. The underground stopes and vein systems are internationally renowned among mineral collectors for producing crystallized specimens, most notably large, well-formed groups of stibnite crystals associated with quartz, sphalerite, and marcasite.

Berthierite is an uncommon iron antimony sulfide mineral. It typically forms dark steel-gray to grayish-black metallic aggregates, often with a fibrous or prismatic crystal habit that resembles stibnite. It is usually found in hydrothermal ore veins formed at low to moderate temperatures, frequently associated with other antimony and lead minerals. Named in honor of the French chemist Pierre Berthier, it serves as a minor ore of antimony.

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