Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/2. (2011)

Paleontology

Collections and collectors: the Samuel von Brukenthal mineral collection

samples from Säcärämb, Baia de Aries, Cavnic etc. stand out especially due to the diversity of the macles and to the coloring of the crystals.

Fig. 5: Rhodochrosite - Dognecea (CS), inv. no. 4327

3. The “native metals" class, such as gold, have contributed to the reputation of the collection. In this class, according to the classification made by the second custodian of the collection and as mentioned above, one needs to include minerals such as: silver, telluride, bismuth, copper and arsen.

Fig. 6: Gold — Dognecea (CS), inv. no. 4067

While travelling in Transylvania and visiting Sibiu, the Danish researcher Jens Esmark, pointed out, among the mineral collections he had come across, baron Samuel von Brukenthal’s in particular, and especially “the pure gold suite”, which he considered to be the most complete suite of golden samples he had ever seen. Among these, two very interesting samples stood out: one with cubical golden crystals and another one with crystals laid in two double pyramids with eight sides. Carl Eder’s catalogue, Jens Esmark’s travel reports and those of other foreign travelers made the gold, silver and gold and silver telluride samples well known in the entire Europe. There are 438 pieces of gold and 271 gold-silver tellurides (petzite, sylvanite, krennerite and nagyagite). The samples were collected from the gold deposits from Säcärämb, Baia de Aries, Zlatna and especially from the mines where the baron had shares (the Barbara and St. Clement mines) (Esmark, 1798; Schuller, 1969, p. 287)

6. The “sulfide metals”class includes minerals such as: iron pyrites, arsenopyrite, cobaltite, smaltite, chalcopyrite, bornite, galenite, argentite, hessite, cuprite, calcozine, bournonite, sylvanite, krennerite, nagyagite, telluride, molybdenite, antimony, tetrahedrite, bournonite, stephanite, sphalerite, alabandite, cinnabarite, realgar, auripigment.

Form the Sulfurs — the “metal sulphides” group — the antimony sample dominants aesthetically (92 pieces) from Cavnic, Sacaramb, Baia de Aries, Toplita, with 8-10 cm long crystals.

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