Benz Calcite

Benz CalciteA relatively new and exciting addition to the mineral world, the so called Benz calcite comes from specific formations in Hubei, China, where some truly impressive specimens like this very rarely emerge from the mines. These incredible collectors pieces each one of a kind feature massive semitransparent calcite crystals, many of which feature coatings of fine, incredibly brilliant pyrite and chalcopyrite. The Benz part of the name comes from the tip

It is found in a wide range of shades from deep purple to pale violet and even pink

From the Ordovician age

Due to its incredibly vivid and deep coloration

or the formation of equally thin layers of secondary minerals due to hydrothermal or other alteration

Pure fluorite is clear

One of the most widely recognized and unmistakable minerals

These specimens of Mosasaur (Mosasaurus anceps) teeth are embedded in matrix

Metacanthian Trilibite from the Mid Devonian Period

The unique combination of smoky

so much that the local tribes people used to use these mudstones as currency in trade and other daily life

The famed “fool’s gold”

resulting from the oxidation of its copper and sulfide components