Fluorite with Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2312171

location:
Denton Mine, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:

Beautiful cluster of light bluish purple mostly gemmy cubic fluorite crystals. This is in terrific condition all around with no points of attachment. Minor chalcopyrite present. This was collected in 1982. At one time part of the collection of Ross Lillie, his number RCL2540 attached to the backside of the specimen.

The Denton Mine, located in Hardin County, Illinois, was a major underground operation within the famous Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District. Put into operation in 1981 at a depth of 640 feet, it became world-renowned among mineral collectors for producing exceptional, high-grade fluorite crystals. Geologically, the region features Mississippian-age limestone host rocks that were shaped by complex faulting and tectonic activity. Hot, mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids circulated through these fractures, eventually cooling and precipitating deposits of fluorite, barite, galena, and sphalerite in open cavities and veins. Although commercial mining has long since ceased in the area, the mine remains legendary for the aesthetic quality and vibrant color zoning of its mineral specimens.

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