Galena with Dolomite

specimen number:
2013615

location:
Big Bear Orebody, Fletcher Mine, Reynolds Co., Missouri, USA

description:

Collected around 15 years ago, superb lustrous twinned crystals of galena to 2.3 cm in height coming off of a matrix of crystallized galena and white dolomite. This is in super condition all around and excellent for the species and twinning habit for this locality. These are often erroneously referred to as spinel-law twins, they are actually flattened penetration twins.

The Fletcher Mine, situated in Reynolds County, Missouri, is a cornerstone of the world-class Viburnum Trend lead-zinc district. Geologically, it is a Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposit where mineralizing fluids replaced the Cambrian-aged Bonneterre Dolomite, creating massive sulfide bodies along a prehistoric reef structure. A significant highlight in the mine's history was the development of the Big Bear orebody, which became famous among mineral collectors for producing extraordinary specimens between 2010 and 2011. This specific zone yielded world-class, mirror-bright galena crystals that frequently exhibited complex penetration twinning, resulting in unique, flattened, or tabular habits with sharp, aesthetic geometries. Historically, the Fletcher Mine began production in 1967 under the St. Joseph Lead Company and has been operated for decades by the Doe Run Company. While the mine continues to be a major global producer of lead and zinc, the 2010-2011 discovery at Big Bear remains a landmark event for the preservation of some of the finest twinned galena crystals ever recovered from the district.

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