Sylvanite (Ref: 212)

Here we see a superfine specimen with numerous of well developed, sharp and mirror bright crystlas of Sylvanite scattered over the matrix. Sylvanite, the rare silver and gold telluride, was discovered here at this type locality in 1835. It is known at its best for this surreal, metallic-organic growth that seems to have pattern, when crystallized at we see here. More technically speaking, these are flat-lying crystals in the form of typical graphic intergrowths (´Schrifterz´). The effect is bizarre, and beautiful. Good handsized specimens from this type locality, most surely dating to the 1800s, are extremely hard to obtain today on the market. According to MINDAT: Named after the Transylvania region of Romania, where it was first found, and Sylvanium, one of the names proposed for the newly discovered element tellurium, which it contains.