Pyromorphite

specimen number:
1641073

location:
Bunker Hill Mine, Shoshone Co., Idaho, USA

description:

Classic lustrous yellow green crystals of pyromorphite measuring to 1.0 cm in size on matrix. This is in very good condition. The quality is excellent.

The Bunker Hill Mine, located in the Coeur d'Alene District near Kellogg, Idaho, is one of the most storied and productive lead-silver mines in American history. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within the Precambrian Belt Supergroup, specifically the Revett and St. Regis formations, where mineralization occurs as massive sulfide veins along complex fault zones. While the mine was a massive industrial producer of lead, zinc, and silver, it is world-famous among mineral collectors for its extraordinary pyromorphite specimens. These crystals formed in the upper oxidation zone of the ore body, where lead-rich fluids reacted with phosphoric acid to produce lustrous, barrel-shaped crystals in shades of apple-green, lime, and yellow. Historically, the mine was discovered in 1885 by Noah Kellogg and operated almost continuously for nearly a century until its closure in 1981 due to environmental regulations and falling metal prices. During its peak, the Bunker Hill produced some of the finest pyromorphite specimens ever recorded, which now reside in major museum collections globally.

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