Chicagoland Calcite
Jared Freiburg, Geologist for the state of Illinois, collected these specimens and brought them to Tucson, where they caused great excitement. The Calcites are colorless scalenohedrons with modified tips. Generally one side of the specimen has Pyrite and Marcasite on the outside of the crystals, while the other side of the specimen has the Pyrite and Marcasite as inclusions, defining an interior phantom. Sometimes this happens on opposite sides of a single crystal. The crystals also exhibit very interesting growth lines.
While not actually inside the city boundaries of Chicago, the Conco Mine is in Kane County, which the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce claims as part of "Chicagoland".
Come celebrate the city of my birth, and enjoy these exciting crystals...
FOV ~ 2 x 1.7 cm click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 1.5 x 1.3 cm
CC11-03
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $18 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
5.4 cm x 4.0 cm x 2.8 cm
The lower images show two sides of the same crystal. On the left, the Pyrite and Marcasite are inclusions; on the right, they are exterior to the crystal. Notice the transverse growth lines down the center of the crystal in the lower left photo.
click on images
for larger views
CC11-02
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $24 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
6.3 cm x 5.3 cm x 5.1 cm
A double phantom, shown in the right-hand photo, with transverse growth lines in two stripes down the center of the crystal.
click on images for larger views
CC11-01
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $20 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
7.2 cm x 5.7 cm x 4 cm
Notice the sharp phantom in the lower left photo, and the transverse growth striations on the crystal surface in the lower right photo.
FOV ~ 1.7 x 1.3 cm click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 2 x 1.5 cm
CC11-04
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $17 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
5.5 cm x 4.4 cm x 4 cm
The Pyrite and Marcasite is outside the double-terminated crystal at lower left, but inside the crystal at lower right.
click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 1.3 x 0.8 cm
CC11-05
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $15 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
4.6 cm x 2.8 cm x 2.0 cm
The Calcite crystal on the right has transverse growth lines in two stripes down the center of the crystal, and a very nice phantom.
click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 2 x 1.8 cm
CC11-06
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $22 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
5.3 cm x 5.1 cm x 2 cm
The Calcite crystal on the right has a narrow strip of transverse growth lines down the center of the crystal, and a very nice phantom.
click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 1.5 x 1.5 cm
CC11-07
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $17 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
4.5 cm x 4.3 cm x 4.0 cm
The Calcite crystal on the right has transverse growth lines in two stripes down the center of the crystal, and a very nice phantom.
click
on images for larger views FOV
~ 2 x 1.6 cm
CC11-08
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $25 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
5.6 cm x 5 cm x 4.5 cm
The Calcite crystal on the right has transverse growth lines in two stripes down the center of the crystal, and a very nice phantom.
click on images for larger views FOV
~ 1.5 x 1.1 cm
CC11-10
Calcite with Pyrite and Marcasite $15 SOLD
Conco Mine, North Aurora, Kane Co., Illinois
4.5 cm x 3.1 cm x 3 cm
The Calcite crystal on the right has transverse growth lines down the center of the crystal, and a very nice phantom.
More Tucson 2011 updates are in Scolecite Gallery
& Tucson2011.
or select a gallery from the table below:
Questions? Please send me an email.
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Earth Minerals