Northern Saxony

The area around Leisnig in the south, Colditz in the west and Mutzschen in the north is full of smaller and bigger sources with mayn known and probably quite a lot unknown spots for lithophysae. The sources around Leisnig - e.g. Burgstall, Wendishain, etc. - are better known than others.

The geology provides a huge area of quartz porphyry with primary and secondary (mostly fluviatile) sources in the whole area. Also a few kaolin mines or pits (decayed porphyry) are located here but the better known ones are separated in another chapter. Also the great gravel pits of the so called 'Leipziger Land' in the northwest are described in another part.

 

We - some friends and me - will try to give more insight this year (2017) by visiting the area and writing an article in German and English as well. Nevertheless you can try articles and books like

  • Rainer Haake (2000) Achate sammeln in Deutschland. Bode Verlag (2. Bände)
  • Manfred Lüttich (2016) "Donnereier": Rhyolithkugeln aus Nordsachsen. Lapis 9 (41), 34-40,

 

Sources in the area of Leisnig:

  • Bockelwitz (gravel pit)
  • Burgstall
  • Hausdorf (Colditz)
  • Klosterbuch
  • Korpitzsch
  • Lauschka
  • Liebgen's Mühle
  • Marschwitz
  • Minkwitz

 

 

  • Paudritzsch
  • Polditz
  • Rosenberg (Mt.)
  • Tanndorf (Colditz)
  • Tautendorf
  • Wendishain
    • Pechstein source
  • Westewitz - Hohenweitzschen
  • Wiesenthal

Bockelwitz

Leisnig "Bockelwitz"
Leisnig "Bockelwitz"

The material can be found as gravels in a pit near the town of Bockelwitz. The origin might be the kaolin area in the north (Kemmlitz).

 

This is a very nice but tiny lithophysae (35x32mm) from the gravel pit. It looks like a big one cause of its complete habit.

Burgstall

Leisnig "Burgstall"
Leisnig "Burgstall"

The source of Burgstall is located in a valley near Leisnig. Usually the agate forms as veins or fillings in the rhyolite. Real thundereggs are rare.

 

A great llithophysae agate with a nice chromatography from this location (94x90 mm). The smaller ones are unopened or cracked ones. Also jasper can occur.

Liebgen's Mühle

The material from Lierbgen's Mühle near Leisnig is often totally out of needle like pseudos. Mainly it can be characterized as a vein, but it is not for sure. There are also small agates in the rhyolite sometimes.

Marschwitz

size: both ~ 70x50 mm

 

The sub-location of Marschwitz had been unknown to me, till the time I swapped those specimens with a friend of mine.

One has some nice agate structure, the other one shows some Baden-Baden like pseudomorphs. Both are only rough cut and scanned.

Minkwitz

Leisnig "Minkwitz"
Leisnig "Minkwitz"

size: 67x34 mm

 

A vein-like lithophysae from the creek near Minkwitz in the Leisnig area. Found by a befriends collector after the great flood 2013.

Tautendorf

Leisnig "Tautendorf"
Leisnig "Tautendorf"

size:

 

Really rare location as far as I know - Tautendorf.

Wendishain

Leisnig "Wendishain"
Leisnig "Wendishain"

The site of Wendishain can be described as one of the oldest and most special ones in the area. The source itself is structured as a source-in-source with pitchstone in the middle (about 100qm) and ryholite surrounding it. Unfortunately the pitchstone part could not be recovered yet but there can be found pieces in a creek bed near by.

 

The pitchstone t-eggs have a darker greyish to blackish matrix with a translucent chalcedony and red to green rim. The rhyolite t-eggs have a more typical reddish matrix with a colored more opaque filling.

Leisnig "Wendishain"
Leisnig "Wendishain"