Galena

specimen number:
2092252

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

description:
A choice grouping of bright lustrous sharply formed galena crystals. Crystallized completely all around with just minor cleaving on the back bottom side only.

The Sweetwater Mine, located in the Viburnum Trend of Reynolds County, Missouri, is a world-renowned source of well-crystallized galena specimens. Geologically, the deposit is classified as a Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) lead-zinc ore body, where mineralizing fluids replaced Upper Cambrian Bonneterre Formation dolostones with sulfide minerals within brecciated zones and reefs. The galena typically occurs as sharp, lustrous cubic or cubo-octahedral crystals, frequently associated with chalcopyrite, calcite, and marcasite. Historically, the mine was developed by the Ozark Lead Company and began production in 1968, later coming under the operation of the Doe Run Company. Large-scale mining and quarrying activities at this site have remained consistent for decades, with the facility being a major contributor to global lead production through 2026. Because of its prolific output and the high quality of its mineral pockets, the Sweetwater Mine has provided a significant volume of specimens to the commercial mineral trade and private collectors for over fifty years.

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