Goethite

specimen number:
1052606

location:
Rakos hill, Roznava, Kosice, Slovakia

description:

Beautiful iridescent botryoidal goethite across the top of matrix. In great condition. An attractive classic old example for the species, the specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video. This label gives an original acquisition date of 1913.

Rakos Hill, located near the village of Rakos in the Gemer region of southern Slovakia, is a significant site within the Slovak Ore Mountains known for its iron and mercury deposits. Geologically, the hill is composed of Paleozoic sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that were heavily mineralized by hydrothermal activity, resulting in massive siderite veins that underwent extensive oxidation. This oxidation process created thick gossans rich in secondary iron minerals, most notably goethite, which often occurs here in stunning botryoidal, stalactitic, and velvety forms with a characteristic dark brown to iridescent black luster. Historically, mining and quarrying activities on Rakos Hill date back to at least the 14th century, with the most intensive industrial extraction of iron ore occurring during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to support the regional Austro-Hungarian steel industry. While mercury mining also took place sporadically at the nearby Rakos-Bana site, the iron workings on the hill itself were the primary focus for centuries before declining in the mid-1900s.

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