Fluorite

specimen number:
2092226

location:
Hill-Ledford Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
A grouping of deep purple slightly translucent crystals of fluorite measuring to 5.0 cm on edge in a cluster without matrix. In good condition with minimal micro-damage present.

The Hill-Ledford mine, situated within the highly prolific Cave-in-Rock mining sub-district of Hardin County, Illinois, United States, was a notable underground fluorspar operation renowned for producing exceptional mineral specimens. Geologically, this deposit is classified as a classic Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) stratiform bedding-replacement body hosted within Mississippian-age sedimentary rocks, specifically localized along structural faulting and fracture systems where low-temperature hydrothermal fluids selectively dissolved and replaced the favorable limestone strata. This mineralization process created magnificent open vugs and dissolution cavities lined with highly aesthetic, pristine mineral specimens, featuring lustrous, deeply colored yellow and purple fluorite cubes, sharp black sphalerite crystals, galena cubes, barite blades, and complex calcite scalenohedrons. Historically, the property was systematically explored and developed by the prominent Ozark-Mahoning Company, with formal underground shaft sinking and commercial mining operations commencing in the late 1940s to supply vital acid-grade fluorspar and base metals for the booming post-World War II industrial market. The mine operated intensely during the 1950s but, following the gradual depletion of its high-grade ore bodies and shifting corporate production focus to deeper neighboring deposits, all underground mining extraction permanently ceased in the early 1960s, leading to the decommissioning of the site and the complete flooding of its subterranean workings.

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