Cluster of Large Red Realgar Crystals on White Calcite from Shimen Mine, Hunan, China

The Jiepaiyu Mine, or better known as the Shimen mine, is famous for its exceptionally large and well-defined realgar crystals in association with orpiment and yellow calcite. It is the largest arsenic deposit in Asia and one of the largest in the world. The mine has been closed around 2010 due to severe arsenic pollution to the water body nearby that causes cancers among local villagers. Realgar specimens from this locality are highly sought-after by collectors, but few comes with matrix. This is a stunning matrix piece that is alomost impossible to come by nowadays. The largest realgar crystal measures up to 2.5cm.