Quartz on Sphalerite cast (G-018)

specimen number:
9273086

location:
San Vicente Mine, Guanajuato, Mexico

description:

Sparkling micro crystals of quartz covering what is called on the previous label and sphalerite asked. I believe these were previous crystals of calcite or dolomite. In good condition.

The San Vicente mine, located within the southern portion of the historic Guanajuato mining district in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, is a classic underground precious metal operation that exploited rich epithermal vein networks. Geologically, the deposit is structurally controlled by the regional fault systems of the district, specifically targeting complex splints and parallel vein systems associated with the Sierra and Veta Madre Trends, which are hosted within a sequence of Mesozoic metasedimentary rocks and Oligocene volcanic formations. Hydrothermal fluids traveling through these fractured zones precipitated low-to-intermediate sulfidation epithermal mineralization, creating quartz-carbonate veins rich in silver and gold that carry primary ore minerals such as acanthite, pyrargyrite, and electrum alongside minor base metal sulfides. Historically, localized extraction at San Vicente dates back to Spanish colonial exploration in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, followed by periods of intermittent underground development by private Mexican syndicates and local mining cooperatives throughout the twentieth century. The mine experienced a modern operational revival during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries as part of consolidated regional exploration programs, maintaining active production phases through international mining concerns until scaling back to a state of strategic care, maintenance, and exploratory evaluation through 2026.

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