Dragon Scale Calcite with Marcasite – Brushy Creek Mine, Missouri, USA

A striking calcite with marcasite specimen from the Brushy Creek Mine, Reynolds County, Missouri, USA, 

One of two amazing "dragon scale" calcites we have available. This is a large, cabinet-sized specimen weighing just over 7 kg from the famous late 1980s find from within the Viburnum Trend district. The waxy smoke gray is the final calcite crystal growth that encased sulphides like marcasite. The sulphides had grown over the first generation of calcite crystals. Where exposed, the sulphides have a terrific, metallic  iridescence and add a lot of sparkle to the giant calcites. I love the overall erratic, yet aesthetic cluster of scalenohedral-shaped calcites. There is only minor nicks on a few crystal tips although there are several crystal contacts where they naturally grew into an obstruction, such as a rock wall. The entire piece appears to be a "floater" with minor evidence of contact points (the base is photographed to show the lack of contacts but does not have any larger crystals).

The specimen has excellent visual depth, with large dominant calcite crystals surrounded by smaller secondary crystals and extensive marcasite coverage. Its combination of commanding crystal size, brilliant metallic contrast and documented older provenance makes it an especially distinctive Brushy Creek specimen and a strong centerpiece for a serious cabinet collection.

Minerals: Calcite, Marcasite
Locality: Brushy Creek Mine, Reynolds County, Missouri, USA
Crystal System: Calcite – Trigonal; Marcasite – Orthorhombic
Mineral Class: Carbonate; Sulfide
Provenance: Ex Bill Rouslin #454
Dimensions: 24 × 23 × 9 cm