Quartz with Siderite

specimen number:
1115644

location:
Panasqueira Mines, Portugal

description:
A large cluster of colorless gemmy quartz hosting siderite. In good condition.

The Panasqueira Mine, located in central Portugal, is a world-class hydrothermal deposit renowned for tungsten, tin, and copper production. Geologically, the deposit consists of a dense swarm of sub-horizontal quartz veins hosted within folded Neoproterozoic to Cambrian metasediments (the Beira-Schist Formation). These mineralized veins are genetically linked to an underlying Variscan (Hercynian) granitic cupola and greisen system. Historically, artisanal extraction and prospecting began in the late 19th century following the discovery of wolframite around 1898, with formal industrial mining commencing shortly thereafter. The operation gained immense strategic importance during both World Wars, particularly for supplying tungsten vital to industrial manufacturing, and it continues to operate today as one of the longest-running and most famous mineral localities in Europe.

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