Home > Mexico I – December 15 > MS1699 Pyrargyrite

Pyrargyrite - Sold


Pyrargyrite is a silver antimony sulfosalt, which forms a series with proustite (Moëlo et al., 2008). Glocker (1831) coined the species name pyrargyrite, by combining of Greek pyr for fire, and argyros for silver.

The history of silver mining at Guanajuato dates back to 1548, and mining activity continues to this day. Silver minerals occur in quartz veins, some of which is amethystine. This is a very rare example of pyrargyrite on amethystine quartz from Mexico. Most silver minerals pop off matrix, so matrix specimens are rare. Rarer yet is amethyst quartz matrix. The pyrargyrite forms a doubly terminated crystal 1.3 cm long, however with some contacting along its length. Unusual and nice!