Galena

specimen number:
2013469

location:
Sweetwater Mine, Viburnum Trend, Reynolds Co., Missouri, USA

description:
a superb large compound cubic crystal of galena with little attached matrix. This is in super condition. Great luster. This is from the early 1970s. The size provided is measured on edge. On a diagonal, this grouping is 10.0 cm.

The Sweetwater Mine, located in Reynolds County, Missouri, is part of the Southeast Missouri Lead District, one of the most important lead producing regions in the world. Developed in the 20th century, the mine exploits Mississippi Valley type deposits hosted in Cambrian dolomite, where metal rich fluids deposited lead and associated minerals in fractures and porous zones within the rock. The primary ore mineral is galena, which at Sweetwater commonly occurs as bright, lustrous cubic crystals with sharp edges and high metallic luster. These crystals often form in open cavities or vugs, sometimes associated with calcite, dolomite, and other sulfide minerals. The quality of the galena specimens from Sweetwater, particularly their well defined cubic form and reflective surfaces, has made the locality well known among collectors as a source of classic American galena.

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