Enargite

specimen number:
1605110

location:
Butte, Silver Bow Co., Montana, USA

description:
Classic thumbnail specimen for this famous mining district, this is a cluster of lustrous metallic enargite crystals. In good condition with slight cleaving present, the prominent crystals are fine.

Butte, located in Silver Bow County, Montana, is one of the most famous historic mining districts in the United States, often referred to as the Richest Hill on Earth. Mining history in the area began in the 1860s with placer gold and silver prospecting before transitioning into massive copper extraction driven by industrial demand and tycoons like Marcus Daly. Geologically, the district is centered around the Butte Quartz Monzonite, a large intrusive pluton of the Cretaceous Boulder Batholith, which was subsequently fractured and invaded by complex hydrothermal vein systems. These veins produced billions of pounds of copper, zinc, silver, and gold, cementing Butte's legacy as a cornerstone of American mining history.

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