Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2133267

location:
French Creek, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA

description:
A grouping of golden almost iridescent chalcopyrite crystals with little matrix. Micro-damage present but minimal, in good condition. Nice miniature for this Pennsylvania classic.

The French Creek Mines, located near Saint Peters in Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprised several underground iron operations, most notably the Elizabeth and Hopewell mines. Geologically, the site is a classic skarn deposit where Triassic-aged diabase intrusions metamorphosed Precambrian marble and sedimentary rocks, resulting in the formation of massive magnetite ore bodies. This environment produced exceptional sulfide minerals, including some of the finest chalcopyrite crystals in North America, which are famous for their sharp sphenoidal habit and brilliant metallic luster. Historically, mining at French Creek began in the mid-1800s and continued intermittently until the final closure in 1928, with the most productive years occurring under the E. and G. Brooke Iron Company. While the mines were primarily worked for iron ore, the locality gained international mineralogical fame for its secondary minerals, particularly the large, well-formed chalcopyrite crystals often found perched on contrasting white byssolite or dark green magnetite.

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