JN Minerals - Großer Hexenkopf, East Tyrol: Rock crystals from north face cleft

Gr. Hexenkopf, Osttirol: Rock crystals from north face cleft

Großer Hexenkopf mountain (3.313 m) is a summit in the Eichham group situated southeast of the Großvenediger mountain in the national park Hohe Tauern. The specimen below stem from a big cleft in the north face, which can be reached most conveniently from Prägraten a. G. (Virgental) via Timmeltal and Kleinitzalpe. The cleft is situated in an altitude of nearly 3.300 m and can only be accessed by climbing exposed terrain. The cleft was found and worked already in 1980, i.e. before the national park legislation set a strict prohibition of mineral collecting for Osttirol (East Tyrol). The cleft paragenesis comprises rock crystals of good luster and clarity with turquois schist inclusions, calcite, minor titanite and some copper mineralisation in the surrounding quartz vein (see picture below). The latter is a smoking gun for the entire locale, compare e.g. the renowned find of bornite crystals in the nearby Firschnitzscharte.