Pyromorphite

specimen number:
2072249

location:
Daoping Mine, Guangxi, China

description:
Attractive lustrous green prismatic crystals of pyromorphite on matrix. In good condition with minimal damage present. Nice color and luster.

The Daoping Mine, located in Gongcheng County within the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, is internationally recognized as the premier source for world-class pyromorphite specimens. Geologically, the deposit is a skarn-type lead-zinc ore body situated in the contact zone between Devonian limestones and Mesozoic granitic intrusions, where extensive secondary oxidation has occurred. This oxidation process allowed for the formation of spectacular, apple-green to canary-yellow pyromorphite crystals, often exhibiting a distinctive hoppered or cavernous hexagonal habit. Historically, while small-scale mining in the region has occurred for centuries, the modern era of specimen production at Daoping began in the late 1990s and reached its peak in the early 2000s. Although the mine was originally worked for industrial lead and zinc ore, the discovery of these vibrant green crystal clusters quickly shifted international focus toward its mineralogical value. Significant commercial specimen recovery continued through approximately 2006, after which production declined as the main pockets were exhausted and the focus of local mining moved to other sectors. Today, Daoping remains the global benchmark for pyromorphite quality in the mineral collecting world.

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