Bournonite with Sphalerite

specimen number:
2312602

location:
Herja mine, Maramures Co., Romania

description:
A crystallized plate of lustrous translucent sphalerite crystals, these measuring to 1.5 cm in size, one side almost completely covered by metallic semi lustrous twinned crystals of bournonite. No points of attachment and crystallized completely all around. Very neat specimen. The bournonite crystals exhibit twinning. The sphalerite crystals in most cases are translucent and honey colored.

The Herja Mine, historically known as Kisbanya and located in the Maramures County of Romania, is a legendary underground mining district with operations dating back to medieval times and expanding heavily through the 19th and 20th centuries. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the Neogene volcanic arc of the Inner Carpathians, featuring complex hydrothermal vein systems hosted in volcanic and sedimentary rocks driven by extensive magmatic activity. Mineralogically, Herja is world-famous among collectors and museums for producing some of the finest epithermal ore specimens ever found, most notably brilliant, razor-sharp crystals of stibnite, berthierite, quartz, and various sulfides that display exceptional crystal size and metallic luster.

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