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 bottom and one corner of the specimen
have been cut and polished 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 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!!!
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