Philipsburgite

specimen number:
2102254

location:
Black Pine Mine, Granite Co., Montana, USA

description:
A fine very richly crystallized example for the species with green sparkling philipsburgite crystals across the top of matrix. This is in good condition with minimal micro-damage present.

The Black Pine Mine, located in the Henderson Mining District of Granite County, Montana, is a renowned locality for rare secondary oxidation minerals. Geologically, the deposit consists of quartz-sulfide veins hosted within the Precambrian Belt Supergroup quartzites, where primary minerals like tetrahedrite underwent significant weathering to produce a diverse suite of arsenates and phosphates. The mine is the type locality for philipsburgite, a rare copper-zinc arsenate-phosphate mineral that typically forms as tiny, emerald-green to grass-green radiating clusters or botryoidal crusts. Historically, the mine was first operated for silver and copper in the late 1880s, with various periods of activity occurring through the mid-20th century, including a notable resumption of silver mining by Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company in the 1980s.

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