Orpiment crystals from the Jiepaiyu Mine, Shimen, Hunan Province, China– small cabinet specimen as unique piece
This small cabinet specimen displays impressively developed Orpiment crystals from the Jiepaiyu Mine, Shimen, Hunan Province, China. The specimen is dominated by intensely orange yellow to amber colored crystals arranged in dense, radiating crystal aggregates. The individual crystals are well defined, tabular to prismatic in habit, and show a strong vitreous to resinous luster. The exceptional color intensity and pronounced crystal structure give the specimen a powerful visual presence and make it a highly attractive collector piece.
Geology & Origin
The Jiepaiyu Mine in Hunan Province, China, is a well known locality for arsenic bearing sulfide minerals. Orpiment formed here under low temperature hydrothermal conditions, when arsenic rich solutions crystallized within fractures and cavities of the host rock. The locality is renowned for producing vividly colored, well developed Orpiment crystals that are internationally regarded as classic reference specimens.