Pyrite with Hematite

specimen number:
9302414

location:
Rio Marina, Elba, Tuscany, Italy

description:

Classic Italian specimen, this is a cluster of large bright metallic crystals of pyrite without matrix. The largest pyrite crystal measures 10.0 cm across. Minor metallic micaceous crystallized hematite is sparsely present. In excellent condition.

Rio Marina, located on the eastern coast of Elba Island in Tuscany, Italy, features a world-famous iron-rich geological setting dominated by skarn deposits and metasomatic iron ores formed within Paleozoic and Triassic metamorphic rocks. Artisanal and commercial mining in the region dates back to antiquity, with Etruscans and Romans extensively extracting iron ore thousands of years ago. Today, Rio Marina is legendary among mineral collectors for its historic iron mines, particularly the Cantiere Bacino, which have produced some of the world's finest lustrous pyrite specimens known for their brilliant metallic sheen, sharp pyritohedral and cubic crystal forms, and aesthetic associations with hematite.

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