Orpiment & Calcite (Ref: 5508)

These extraordinary Orpiment-Calcite specimens from China from the 1990s were considered the ´Best of Species´ for decades and can still easily compete with the best finds of the species from Peru and/or Nevada today. And this specimen proves the point. It is definitely a ´killer piece´ but was extremely difficult to capture photographically due to the high contrast and the bright crystals. Nevertheless, we have slightly whitish to colorless clear translucent Calcite scalenohedrons with a greasy luster, incredibly aesthetically framed by deep yellow-orange to egg yolk-yellow, gemmy Orpiment crystals with vitreous luster. The terminations of the translucent crystals are chisel-shaped. Some minimal, barely visible contacts cannot be avoided due to the sensitivity or low Mohs hardness of the material, but in this case they are easily forgivable due to the excellent overall color contrast and aesthetics.