Nickelskutterudite with Nickeline

specimen number:
1052620

location:
Kaltenberg Mine, Turtmann Valley, Turtmann-Unterems, Leuk, Valais, Switzerland

description:

An excellent large rich example for the species from this old Swiss locality. These are rarely seen available on the market today. Bright metallic masses of nickelskutterudite throughout matrix with nickeline. The specimen comes with an antique label noting that this locality closed in 1898. I believe it did reopen temporarily after this label was written. The original acquisition date on the label itself is 1906.

The Kaltenberg mine, also known as Kaltberg, is situated at a high altitude in the Turtmann Valley of Valais, Switzerland, nestled within the rugged terrain of the Penninic Alps. Geologically, the deposit consists of hydrothermal veins hosted in metamorphic schists and gneisses, which were mineralized during Alpine tectonic events with a complex suite of nickel, cobalt, arsenic, and silver ores. The site is a notable locality for rare species such as safflorite, skutterudite, and nickeline, which occur as distinct metallic masses alongside native bismuth and erythrite. Historically, mining and quarrying activities were conducted intermittently between 1836 and 1942, with the most significant periods of production occurring in the mid-nineteenth century to supply cobalt and nickel for industrial applications. Due to the extreme elevation and difficult access, large-scale industrialization was never fully realized, and the mine was ultimately abandoned as reserves became uneconomical to extract.

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