Quartz on Sphalerite

specimen number:
2312340

location:
Krushev dol Mine, Madan, Smolyan, Bulgaria

description:
Spiky crystals of colorless quartz aesthetic across the top of matrix with minor sphalerite. An attractive large cabinet piece that is in really good condition.

The Krushev Dol mine, situated within the renowned Madan ore field in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria, has a rich mining history dating back to ancient Thracian times in the fourth century BC, with extensive modern industrial development taking place through the twentieth century. Geologically, the deposit is part of a complex hydrothermal vein and replacement system hosted within high-grade metamorphic rocks and marbles, shaped by intensive Paleogene magmatic and tectonic activity. Mineralogically, the mine is world-famous for producing exceptional collector specimens, particularly lustrous galena, sphalerite (including notable cleophane varieties), chalcopyrite, and quartz, alongside a diverse array of associated sulfides and rare accessory minerals.

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