Hemimorphite

specimen number:
2102073

location:
Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, USA

description:
choice lustrous crystals of hemimorphite covering the top of matrix. The crystals are in great condition and mostly transparent. Very fine for this New Jersey classic.

The Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, is part of the famous Franklin Sterling Hill zinc mining district. Mining activity in the area began in the 18th century and continued on a large scale through the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily for zinc ore. The deposit is known for its unusual geologic environment and extraordinary mineral diversity, with more than 350 mineral species identified. Sterling Hill is especially famous for its fluorescent minerals, including willemite, calcite, and franklinite, which glow brightly under ultraviolet light. The mine also produced fine specimens of hemimorphite, which commonly occurs as colorless to pale blue botryoidal crusts and sparkling crystal aggregates in the oxidized zones of the zinc ore bodies. The mine closed in 1986 and is now preserved as a mining museum and mineral collecting site.

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