Calcite with Sphalerite

specimen number:
2312365

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

description:
Scalenohedral crystals of calcite measuring to 8.0 cm in height coming off of a crystallized black sphalerite matrix. This is in excellent condition. Complete all around.

The Mogilata deposit, accessed via the Septemvri Mine within the Madan ore field of the Smolyan province in southern Bulgaria, is situated in the central Rhodope Mountains. Its geology is defined by Paleogene hydrothermal vein and carbonate-replacement systems cutting through a metamorphic basement of Precambrian to Paleozoic gneisses, schists, and marbles. Mineralization formed from meteoric-hydrothermal fluids driven by Oligocene magmatic activity, producing significant deposits of lead and zinc. Mining in the broader Madan region dates back to ancient times, with organized extraction expanding significantly during the mid-twentieth century. The deposit is well known among mineral collectors for yielding crystal specimens of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, quartz, and carbonate gangue minerals.

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