Home > Silver Minerals – October 23 > MS0997 Andorite

Andorite - Sold


Andorite is a silver lead antimony sulfide. The mineral name honors science patron Andor von Semsey (1833-1923), a wealthy Hungarian who spent his inherited fortune to advance science (Krenner, 1892). Donnay & Donnay (1954) noted that different andorite samples showed different unit cell dimensions, which they named andorite IV and andorite VI. A powder X-ray diffraction analysis on this specimen matches andorite IV. This is a wonderful specimen, with thick crystals to 3.5 cm long. The andorite crystals are heavily striated, and the terminations consists of numerous elevated needle like crystal tips (like a pincushion). Unfortunately this specimen shows rounded edges of wear, and some conchoidal chipping on one edge. Were this in pristine condition, an order of magnitude price difference would be realizable.

This specimen was part of the personal collection of Ralph Merrill, proprietor of the prolific mail order business Minerals Unlimited. He obtained the piece in 1973 through the purchase of the Zimmerman collection. Merrill's collection card and label also ship with the specimen.