Pyrite

specimen number:
2133213

location:
ZCA Mine, Pierrepont, St. Lawrence Co., New York, USA

description:
Brilliant lustrous golden crystals of pyrite forming a grouping without matrix. In good condition. Quite nice for the species from this locality.

The ZCA Mine Number 4, located near Pierrepont in St. Lawrence County, New York, is a significant zinc deposit situated within the Balmat-Edwards zinc district. Geologically, the ore body is hosted in highly metamorphosed Proterozoic marbles and calcsilicate rocks of the Grenville Province, where intense folding and hydrothermal activity created massive sulfide deposits. The mine is famous among collectors for producing exceptional specimens of uvite tourmaline, tremolite, and unusually large, well-formed crystals of sphalerite and galena. Historically, the mine was operated by the Zinc Corporation of America (ZCA) and its predecessors. While mining in the broader district dates back to the early 1900s, the specific Number 4 shaft near Pierrepont saw its most significant period of industrial activity from the 1970s through the early 2000s. The mine officially ceased production in 2001 due to economic conditions.

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