Galena with Dolomite, Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2212285

location:
Grace Walker Mine, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, USA

description:
Bright lustrous cubic crystal grouping of galena perched aesthetically on matrix with pink crystallized dolomite and minor chalcopyrite. In good condition.

The Grace Walker Mine, situated within the Picher Field of the Tri-State Mining District in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, was operated heavily during the mid-20th century by the Eagle-Picher Mining and Smelting Company. Geologically, the deposit is part of the Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) ore deposits, hosted within intensely fractured and altered Mississippian-age limestones and cherts where metal-bearing hydrothermal brines precipitated economic minerals. Mineralogically, the mine is well known for producing classic Tri-State specimens, principally sphalerite and galena, accompanied by associated minerals such as chalcopyrite, marcasite, and calcite. Historically, large-scale extraction in the district drove peak production eras through the World War II period before declining and ultimately closing permanently in late 1970 due to resource depletion and environmental concerns.

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