Description/Interesting Notes:
A rare example of native silver from Butte!!! This specimen consists of a massive portion of chalcocite that hosts a rich
showing of native silver!!! The native silver is present as broad sheets on the outside of the specimen and throughout a
complex spiderweb of fissures throughout the chalcocite matrix!!! The massive chalcocite matrix almost appears to have
shattered apart with a thin sheet of native silver filling in the fine network of cracks!!! The specimen has
been cut on the bottom and polished on two sides to reveal the network of silver within!!! While the polished chalcocite is quite
brilliant, you'll notice a pattern of tin-white native silver lines throughout (it is difficult to capture in the pics,
but much more apparent in person)!!! There is also some quartz and what appears to be a significant amount of pyrite in association as well!!!
The ouside of the specimen shows numerous broad areas of native silver that range from near tin-white to darkly
oxidized!!! It is clear that the specimen easily splits along these silver fissures - thus the broad sheets on
the outer surface (if one wanted to trim it further one could likely expose more silver)!!! This specimen was
from an old miner's collection of native elements and ores (mostly from the Western U.S.) that was acquired by
a friend during a chance encounter at Tucson nearly 40 years ago (many of the specimens were old even then)!!!
This specimen retains its old label as well!!! The pics hardly do it justice - must be seen in person to be fully
appreciated!!! Examples of native silver from Butte are very rare indeed!!!
Good luck and be sure to check out my other exciting mineral auctions on ebay!!!
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