Pyromorphite

specimen number:
9273117

location:
Daoping Mine, Guangxi, China

description:

Gorgeous lustrous green crystals of pyromorphite covering most of this massive quartz matrix. In super condition.

The Daoping mine, located in Gongcheng County within the Guilin Prefecture of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, is an underground extraction operation globally famous for producing pyromorphite mineral specimens. Geologically, the site is a significant carbonate-hosted, strata-bound lead-zinc deposit situated along the margins of the regional Huashan granite intrusion. The secondary mineralization of pyromorphite, a lead phosphate mineral, developed within the extensive oxidized zones of the deposit where primary lead-bearing sulfides interacted over millennia with phosphorus-rich surface waters and low-temperature hydrothermal fluids. Originally opened as a conventional commercial operation for industrial lead and zinc ore extraction in the late 20th century, the mine's focus shifted dramatically around 1998 to 2000 when miners broke into cavernous oxidation pockets filled with distinct crystal formations. Structured commercial specimen mining peaked during the early 2000s, turning the location into a legendary source for international collectors. While large-scale, systematic recovery of these top-tier green crystals has slowed significantly since the late 2010s due to the depletion of the primary pockets and structural flooding, localized or sporadic mining activities have continued to impact the global mineral market well into the 2020s.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.