Bournonite with Chalcopyrite, Cavnic, Maramureș County, Romania
An old-world classic from the now-closed Cavnic mining district, an ancient and historic area known since 1336 and famous for its deposits of lead, zinc, and manganese. This specimen is richly appointed with gun-metal grey Bournonite to 0.5 cm in association with lustrous yellow Chalcopyrite, vitreous-white flattened Baryte crystals, and minor accessory Sphalerite. The Bournonite crystals display both stepped-orthorhombic and cogwheel twin habit, nicely complemented by the brilliant golden chalcopyrite, with well-defined faces and distinct interpenetrating twins. Hollow casts suggest multiple stages of diagenesis.
The typewritten label (using the German language name for the locality, Kavnik) indicates that the piece was collected before the 1980s. The typewritten label identifies the locality as Kapnik, Cavnic’s former appellation when the region was part of Hungary during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Sourced from a 40+ year old collection and uncirculated since.
