Pyrite (ps after Mascasite)

This palm-sized specimen displays multiple growths of bright, brassy pyrite pseudomorphs after bladed marcasite, creating a striking and highly reflective display. The main blades are in very good condition, with contact just along the periphery from when the specimen was removed from the mine wall. The base of the piece consists of dark sphalerite, the principal ore mineral of the deposit. It is a particularly dynamic specimen with many sharp angles and reflective surfaces; the video captures its character far better than still photographs.

The Nanisivik Mine, located on northern Baffin Island approximately 750 km north of the Arctic Circle, was one of the world’s most northerly operating base-metal mines. It opened in 1976 and primarily produced zinc and lead from Mississippi Valley type mineralization hosted in dolostone. Although the mine closed permanently in 2002 due to declining resources and metal prices, Nanisivik has become legendary among collectors for the distinctive and often beautifully crystallized specimens it produced.