Calcite

specimen number:
1655512

location:
Megala Pefka Mine, Lavrion, Attica, Greece

description:
Colorless sparkling crystallized calcite covering the top of matrix. In good condition. Fluorescent under longwave ultraviolet light.

Megala Pefka, situated within the world-famous Lavrion (Laurium) Mining District in Attica, Greece, is a locality celebrated for its complex mineralogy and ancient industrial significance. Geologically, the area is characterized by a series of contact metasomatic replacements and marble-hosted sulfide deposits, specifically located at the contacts between the Attico-Cycladic crystalline basement marbles and schists. These deposits formed when polymetallic hydrothermal fluids, associated with the intrusion of the Plaka granodiorite during the Miocene, deposited rich ores of lead, zinc, and silver. Historically, mining at Megala Pefka dates back to the classic Athenian period in the 5th century BC, when the silver extracted from Lavrion funded the Athenian navy and the construction of the Parthenon. Following centuries of dormancy, the site saw a massive industrial revival in the late 19th century, with the Compagnie Francaise des Mines du Laurium operating heavily in the area from the 1870s until the mid-20th century. Today, Megala Pefka is renowned among mineralogists for producing exceptional secondary specimens, including smithsonite, adamite, and various rare arsenates found within its oxidized zones and ancient slag heaps.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.