Galena & Chalcopyrite - Madan, Bulgaria | Ref. 561

This galena and chalcopyrite specimen, collected in 2008, displays numerous well-formed galena crystals scattered across a white calcite matrix. The metallic surfaces of the galena, with their silvery-grey reflections, contrast sharply with the light background, making the piece easy to observe even for a beginning collector. Small touches of chalcopyrite appear in places, adding subtle golden tones within the assemblage.

Width 94 mm x Height 39 mm - Weight with base: 250 g

The Madan mine, located in the Rhodope mining district, is well known for its assemblages combining galena, calcite and chalcopyrite — a configuration frequently observed in this region.

Did you know?

Galena played an unexpected role in the early history of radio: in the early 20th century, it was used as a detector in the first devices known as “crystal radios”. A fine metal point, called a “cat’s whisker”, was placed on a galena crystal to detect radio signals without any vacuum tube or transistor. Thanks to this semi-conductive property, galena became one of the very first materials used in electronic applications.