Pyromorphite

specimen number:
2062849

location:
Wheatley Mines, Schuylkill, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, USA

description:
Small but choice old-timer cluster of deep green lustrous pyromorphite crystals without matrix. This would have likely been collected in the middle to late 1800s. In very good condition. The specimen comes with two previous labels from the collection at the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum.

The Wheatley Mines, located in Schuylkill Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, sit within the Phoenixville mining district and feature hydrothermal quartz veins cutting through Precambrian gneiss and Paleozoic country rock containing primary sulfide mineralization. Opened in 1851 by mining engineer Charles M. Wheatley, the site targeted veins rich in lead and zinc sulfides, undergoing intermittent periods of active extraction through the mid-19th century and brief revivals into the early 20th century. While commercial mining operations ultimately ceased due to economic and logistical pressures, the extensive underground workings and surface dumps became world-renowned among mineral collectors and museums for producing exceptional secondary lead specimens, particularly vibrant green pyromorphite crystals.

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