Calcite with Sphalerite

specimen number:
2312256

location:
Mogilata deposit, Septemvri Mine, Madan, Smolyan, Bulgaria

description:
Lustrous crystal groupings of calcite to almost 2.0 cm in size across the top of matrix with crystallized sphalerite and minor quartz. This is in terrific condition.

The Mogilata deposit, located within the Septemvri Mine of the Madan ore field in Smolyan, Bulgaria, is part of a historic mining region with roots stretching back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC when ancient Thracians first began extracting lead. Modern industrial exploitation of the Madan ore field intensified significantly following World War II through state-run operations (such as Gorubso) established in the mid-20th century. Geologically, the deposit sits within the Central Rhodope Dome and consists of Tertiary hydrothermal quartz-sulfide veins and metasomatic skarn bodies hosted in metamorphic rocks. These mineralized structures were formed by high-temperature hydrothermal fluids, producing world-renowned concentrations of lead and zinc sulfides alongside a rich variety of accessory minerals like galena, sphalerite, pyrite, and quartz.

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