This specimen shows Pyrite, Chalcopyrite, and Sphalerite that crystallised from hot, mineral-rich fluids circulating through fractures deep underground.
As these fluids cooled, Pyrite typically formed first, developing the well-defined metallic gold crystals seen in the piece.
Chalcopyrite followed, precipitating along Pyrite surfaces and within small openings where temperatures and chemical conditions shifted, resulting in its copper-gold metallic crystals that are present.
Sphalerite formed during later cooling stages, creating a darker crystalline coating and individual crystals, as zinc- and sulphur-rich fluids filled remaining spaces in the vein.
The result is a naturally interlocked cluster that preserves the sequence of mineral growth and the changing conditions within the hydrothermal environment.
