Crystal Gold
Placerville Mining District, El Dorado County, California
This highly aesthetic gold crystal showcases perfectly crystallized, robust, flat octahedral gold crystals in a unique twinned growth. This discovery is the first of its kind from this locality. The gold crystal habits are exceptional, representing some of the finest crystallized gold ever found. The octahedral crystals are both individual and branching, with some displaying cubed, lustrous tip growth and multiple smaller angular gold crystals in between. The intense color and luster enhance this exquisite specimen, which boasts very high gold purity. The combination of well-defined crystals, high luster, and a saturated yellow color is increasingly rare. Attached to the gold is a small dark matrix of natural lead-arsenic alloy, a rare association with native gold. This specimen is a prime example of rare gold from a locality that no longer produces pristine crystallized gold as it once did.
10 x 10 x 5 mm
1.27 grams
#246