A fantastical masterpiece from the American Midwest. This specimen is a prime example of the famous 'Dragon Scale' Calcite discovered in the Sweetwater Mine of Missouri’s Viburnum Trend. We curated this piece for its exceptional architectural form—sharp, scalenohedral crystals that appear to overlap like the armored plates of a mythical dragon. The deep grey to black coloration is caused by countless microscopic inclusions of Chalcopyrite, which often form distinct, glittering phantoms within the translucent calcite. As the Sweetwater Mine faces ongoing accessibility challenges due to partial flooding, these specimens have transitioned from contemporary finds to high-value investment pieces. This is a bold, dramatic specimen that brings a touch of 'Middle Earth' to the modern mineral cabinet.
SPECIMEN DETAILS Mineralogy: Calcite with Chalcopyrite inclusions Dimensions: 15.9 x 7.6cm (6.25 H x 3 W inches) Weight: 642g Characteristics: Overlapping scalenohedral habit; metallic chalcopyrite phantoms; high-contrast "dragon scale" texture Locality: Sweetwater Mine, Ellington, Reynolds Co., Missouri, USA
All specimens include a label bearing the mineral name and origin as well as historic label(s) for the specimen if any.
All Gatsby Gems specimens are carefully selected for quality, authenticity, and display appeal. Each piece is professionally packaged to ensure safe delivery to your collection.
At Gatsby Gems, we prioritize scientific accuracy as highly as aesthetic beauty. Every specimen in our Collector's Edition is cross-referenced with Mindat.org, the world's leading mineralogical database. By verifying locality data and crystal habits against global geological records, we ensure the provenance and authenticity of every piece in our gallery.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
