Chalcopyrite on Sphalerite

specimen number:
2212265

location:
Ballard Mine, Cherokee Co., Kansas, USA

description:
A cluster of large lustrous black somewhat iridescent sphalerite crystals hosting crystals of golden chalcopyrite to 0.5 cm in size. In good condition.

The Ballard Mine, located southwest of Baxter Springs in Cherokee County, Kansas, was a lead and zinc producer within the Picher Field of the Tri-State Mining District. Geologically, the mine is hosted within Mississippian-age cherty limestones and dolomitic limestones belonging to the Boone Formation. The primary ore minerals, sphalerite and galena, were deposited by low-temperature hydrothermal fluids in breccias, solution cavities, and fractures within these carbonate rocks. Historically, the mine operated during the mid-twentieth century, with peak production occurring from the 1930s through the 1960s, including contributions of metals during World War II. Following the cessation of mining in the district around 1970, the site became part of the Cherokee County Superfund area due to residual heavy metal contamination from mining waste.

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