Calcite, Realgar – Jiepaiyu Mine (Shimen Mine), Hunan, China

 An excellent specimen from China. Bright red realgar has formed on and inside a twinned calcite float crystal!
 This exceptionally fine specimen exhibits outstanding luster and translucency. It is one of the few surviving examples of this unique find! Its unique translucency and reddish glow, which would change to a dull orange (transformation into orpiment) under prolonged and intense light exposure, serve as proof that the Realgar piece was protected from sunlight and heat.
 These unique crystals are now almost never offered for sale! They are therefore a rarity from the last millennium.