Pyrite

specimen number:
9273275

location:
La Concha Mine, Taxco de Alarcon, Guerrero, Mexico

description:
Bright golden crystals of pyrite to 0.4 cm in size across the top of matrix. In good condition.

The La Concha Mine and its associated tailings area in the historic Taxco de Alarcon district of Guerrero, Mexico, relate to a prolific mining region where metal extraction dates back to pre-Hispanic times and expanded significantly during the Spanish colonial era. Geologically, the district is characterized by complex hydrothermal vein systems, replacement mantos, and stockworks hosted primarily within Cretaceous limestones (such as the Morelos Formation) and older metamorphic basement rocks, driven by regional igneous intrusions and tectonic faulting. Mineralogically, the deposits are rich in silver, lead, and zinc, featuring primary and secondary assemblages of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and associated sulfosalts within quartz, calcite, and iron-silicate gangue. While older underground workings in the area reflect centuries of precious metal extraction, modern industrial milling and flotation operations in the 20th century generated extensive local tailings impoundments, including the La Concha deposit.

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