Melanophlogite with Sulfur

specimen number:
1052565

location:
Racalmuto, Agrigento, Sicily, Italy

description:
An excellent richly crystallized example for the species with honey colored crystals of melanophlogite across the front of matrix with native sulfur. Brightly fluorescent and in good condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video and dates to the very early 20th century.

The Racalmuto mining district, located in the Agrigento province of Sicily, Italy, is a key site within the Messinian evaporite sequence of the Caltanissetta Basin. Geologically, the area is defined by the Gessoso-Solfifera Formation, which resulted from the extreme evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea during the late Miocene epoch, creating massive layers of gypsum, salt, and native sulfur. Historically, mining in Racalmuto was a major industry from the 19th century through the mid-20th century, with several sulfur mines like the Gibellini and Grasta mines providing significant employment until the regional industry collapsed due to competition and high costs, leading to closures by the late 1980s. Racalmuto is mineralogically famous for its occurrences of melanophlogite, a rare silica polymorph that forms as small, colorless to brown cubic crystals or spherical aggregates. In this locality, melanophlogite is typically found on a matrix of sulfur or celestine and is prized by collectors for its unique clathrate structure, where the silica framework traps organic molecules and sulfur compounds. These specimens represent some of the finest examples of the species, often exhibiting a vitreous luster that contrasts beautifully with the bright yellow native sulfur of the Sicilian mines.

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