#allargentum

Native Silver after Allargentum and Dyscrasite on Calcite

Allargentum and Silver psm after Dyscrasite 

A silvery rarity

Known as Allargentum and made of silver antimony sulphide, this unusual beauty is a silver ore whose name comes from the Greek allos (another) and the Latin name of silver. It usually only forms in high grade deposits, and deposits have been found in Canada, the United States, Australia, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, and Uzbekistan. In this 4.3 x 4.0 x 2.5 cm specimen on calcite matrix from Morocco, the Allargentum has replaced square tetragonal crystals of another silver antimonide called Dyscrasite while retaining their original shape rather than taking on the hexagonal habit more usual to this mineral, in a process known as pseudomorphing (see http://bit.ly/1yoNeiF for an explanation).

Loz

Native Silver after Allargentum and Dyscrasite on Calcite