Pyromorphite

specimen number:
2072078

location:
Daoping Mine, Gongcheng Co., Guangxi, China

description:
Beautiful lustrous green crystals of pyromorphite measuring to almost 1.0 cm in size across the top of matrix. Some damage present, this still very nice.

The Daoping Mine is located in the Gongcheng County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is situated within a significant lead-zinc mineralized belt that has been exploited for industrial metals since the mid-20th century. Geologically, the deposit is an oxidized lead-zinc ore body hosted within Devonian-aged limestone and shale. The mineralization occurred as hydrothermal fluids moved through faults and fractures, creating a complex series of veins and replacement zones. The mine gained international fame starting in the late 1990s and early 2000s when extraordinary specimens of pyromorphite began to reach the global market. These specimens are world-renowned for their vibrant apple-green to lime-green colors and their unique hoppered or branching crystal habits. The timeline of collecting at Daoping saw a massive surge between 2000 and 2005, during which time some of the finest pyromorphite crystals ever discovered were recovered from the upper oxidation zones. While industrial mining for lead and zinc continues, the most prolific era for high-quality collector specimens has passed as the workings moved into deeper, less oxidized levels. Today, Daoping remains the benchmark locality for Chinese pyromorphite and is a staple in major mineral collections worldwide.

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