2T1539 Hutchinsonite
Quiruvilca Dist., Santiago de Chuco Prov., La Libertad Dept., Peru
11.0x 10.0x 6.0 cm
$800
An exceptionally rich specimen of this rare thallium bearing mineral, hosting numerous bright crystals sprinkled on a matrix of matte gray sulfides and dark orpiment. The bulk of the crystals are in a very rich vug/ seam on the top of the specimen. This is not the easiest thing to display, but if you want a piece with a lot of hutchinsonite, you might consider this one.
Most of the hutchinsonite specimens in collections were recovered from this locality in the 70's and 80's, though over the last 2-3 years I have seen examples from more recent workings. I obtained one lot a few months ago, then this one right after Tucson. The pieces from this second lot are much closer in appearance to the old time pieces.
Hutchinsonite is a sulfide of thallium, lead, and arsenic and is probably one of the few minerals containing thallium that you can actually find a decent specimen of.
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