Description
A specimen with colorless to greyish-white Anglesite crystals to 2 cm. The sharp crystals are translucent and perched on Galena matrix. Unfortunately, the main crystal is not quite perfect, but the specimen is still a coveted Sardinian classic from the Monteponi mining complex with a history that dates back thousands of years. It is said that the martyr Pope Ponziano, Bishop of Rome was banished to the island in 235 to work as a slave in the mines. Organized extraction of the Lead-Zinc ore began in the 14th century but large-scale industrial style mining did not start until 1850, and lasted until the 1990sm when operations were shut down.