Chalcopyrite on Sphalerite

specimen number:
8701002

location:
Ballard Mine, Tri-State District, Kansas, USA

description:
A cluster of lustrous black sphalerite crystals, these with golden crystallized chalcopyrite epitaxial throughout. Crystallized completely all around and in good condition.

The Ballard Mine, located in the Baxter Springs area of Cherokee County, Kansas, was a significant producer within the legendary Tri-State District. Geologically, the deposit is a Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) occurrence, where metal-rich hydrothermal fluids precipitated minerals within brecciated Mississippian limestones and cherts. The mine is mineralogically famous for its epitaxial growths, where sharp, brassy chalcopyrite crystals formed in a specific, oriented alignment atop the crystal faces of dark, lustrous sphalerite. Historically, mining and quarrying activities at the Ballard site began in the early 20th century, with the most intensive period of lead and zinc extraction occurring between the 1920s and the 1950s. As part of the wider Picher Field, the Ballard Mine contributed to the district's status as a global leader in zinc production during the World War eras. Commercial operations in the Kansas portion of the district largely ceased by the late 1960s and early 1970s due to the depletion of high-grade ores and environmental concerns.

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