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Bessie G Mine Colorado 348g Quartz Telluride Ore Metallic Wire Crystal Specimen.
Quartz Crystal & Telluride-Bearing Mineral Specimen
Weight: 348 grams / 12.28 oz
Offered here is a substantial 348-gram mineral specimen from the historic Bessie G Mine in the La Plata Mountains of southwestern Colorado.
This is an especially interesting collector specimen featuring abundant white to translucent crystalline quartz, extensive natural vugs and crystal-lined cavities, iron-oxide alteration, and dark metallic mineralization exposed within protected pockets.
Metallic Wire Formation
One of the most unusual features of this specimen is the extremely fine metallic wire-like formation visible in the magnified photographs. The wire occurs naturally within a mineralized area between the quartz and altered matrix and displays a distinct metallic appearance under magnification.
Because the wire has not been individually analyzed, I am conservatively describing it as an unidentified metallic wire-like mineral rather than claiming it to be native gold, silver, or another specific metallic species.
The magnified photographs are included specifically to document this unusual feature.
Metallic Crystals & Mineralization
Several cavities also contain striking dark gray to nearly black metallic-looking crystals. Under magnification, some exhibit well-defined stepped, bladed/tabular and blocky crystalline forms.
The Bessie G is a historic precious-metal deposit associated with gold, silver and telluride mineralization. Known telluride minerals from the Bessie G deposit include calaverite, sylvanite, krennerite, hessite and coloradoite.
The specific dark metallic crystals visible in this specimen have not been individually laboratory identified, so they are being represented conservatively asmetallic/telluride-associated mineralization.
Specimen Features
- Weight: 348 grams
- Approximately 12.28 ounces
- Authentic Bessie G Mine specimen
- La Plata Mountains, Colorado
- Abundant white/translucent crystalline quartz
- Numerous natural crystal-lined vugs and cavities
- Fine metallic wire-like formation visible under magnification
- Dark metallic crystalline mineralization within protected pockets
- Stepped, bladed/tabular and blocky crystal forms visible under magnification
- Yellow, orange and reddish-brown iron-oxide alteration
- Excellent microscopic details throughout the specimen
- Attractive cabinet-size display specimen
- Natural, unmanufactured mineral specimen
This piece should appeal to Colorado mineral collectors, telluride collectors, gold and silver ore collectors, mining-history collectors, micromount/microscope enthusiasts, lapidary collectors, and collectors of unusual metallic mineralization.
The combination of attractive quartz crystal growth on the exterior and the hidden metallic crystals and wire-like feature revealed under magnification makes this a specimen that becomes considerably more interesting the closer it is examined.
Provenance
This specimen comes from material associated with the Bessie G Mine, a historic patented mining property in Colorado's La Plata mining district.
The Bessie G has a long history of precious-metal exploration and is particularly known for its unusual gold-silver-telluride mineralization.
Please examine all photographs carefully. The microscope photographs show areas of the actual specimen at substantial magnification and are included to document its crystal structures, metallic mineralization and wire-like feature.
The coin pictured is for size reference only and is NOT included in the sale.
You will receive the exact 348-gram specimen shown in the photographs.
