Argentopyrite with Proustite, Siderite

specimen number:
2133373

location:
Himmelreich Mine, Pohla, Saxony, Germany

description:
Metallic micro crystals of argentopyrite across matrix with crystalline red proustite and minor siderite.

The Himmelreich mine, forming part of the complex Pohla-Globenstein ore field near Pohla in the Erzgebirge district of Saxony, Germany, is an underground polymetallic operation known for its production of iron, tin, and tungsten ores. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the metamorphic basement of the western Ore Mountains, where lower Cambrian-aged mica schists and carbonaceous rocks of the Raschau Formation were heavily altered into extensive skarn horizons by the thermal and chemical influence of underlying Variscan granitic intrusions. These specialized skarn zones and structural fissures host complex mineral suites dominated by massive magnetite, cassiterite, and scheelite, along with localized sulfides and rare trace elements like indium. Underground exploration and extraction at the site commenced after World War II under the direction of the Soviet-German corporate entity SDAG Wismut, which initiated the deep Pohla adit in 1967 to prospect for uranium before shifting focus to the extraction of the massive tin, tungsten, and iron resources. Industrial operations by Wismut ceased in 1991 following German reunification, after which the shafts were stabilized, though the deposit has seen renewed exploratory drilling, shaft sinking, and resource development by private mining consortia since 2011 to evaluate remaining deep-seated metal reserves.

Argentopyrite is a rare silver iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the monoclinic system, typically forming small, tabular or prismatic crystals that are frequently twinned. Geologically, it is a low-temperature hydrothermal mineral that occurs in localized, silver-rich polymetallic vein deposits, typically associating with other silver sulfosalts, native silver, pyrite, and galena. The mineral exhibits a metallic luster with a color ranging from pale bronze-yellow to dark tombac-brown, though it often tarnishes quickly when exposed to air. It was originally discovered and described in 1866 from the historic silver mining district of Jachymov in the Carlsbad Region of the Czech Republic. Because of its sensitive chemical stability and high silver content, argentopyrite remains a rare mineralogical species mostly documented in deep, historically oxidized vein complexes.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.