Pyrrhotite

specimen number:
2102276

location:
Hecla Rosebud Mine, Pershing Co., Nevada, USA

description:
Thin platy crystals of pyrrhotite in a grouping 2.5 cm across on matrix with crystallized quartz. This is in really good condition. Very fine for the species from this locality, these were collected in the late 1990s.

The Hecla-Rosebud Mine, situated in the Rosebud District of Pershing County, Nevada, is a notable precious metal deposit characterized by low-sulfidation epithermal mineralization. Geologically, the mine is hosted within Miocene-aged volcanic rocks, primarily rhyolitic tuffs and flows, where gold and silver were deposited along high-angle fault zones and breccias. The site is mineralogically significant for producing exceptional specimens of pyrrhotite, which often occur as well-formed, bronze-colored metallic hexagonal plates or steep pyramidal crystals, sometimes associated with other sulfides like pyrite and marcasite. Historically, while the district saw small-scale prospecting in the early 1900s, the most significant modern activity occurred between 1997 and 2000 under a joint venture between Hecla Mining Company and Newmont Gold. During this brief but productive period, the mine operated as a high-grade underground facility, extracting substantial amounts of gold and silver before closing due to the depletion of the main ore body.

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