Schorl with Hematite

specimen number:
2062174

location:
Champion Mine, Marquette Co., Michigan, USA

description:
A neat combination piece with lustrous black prismatic crystals of schorl embedded up on a really bright lustrous metallic hematite matrix. Collected in 1997.

The Champion Mine, located in the town of Champion within Marquette County, Michigan, was one of the most prolific and deep iron ore operations in the Marquette Iron Range. Geologically, the mine worked the Proterozoic-aged Negaunee Iron Formation, where intense regional metamorphism converted sedimentary iron deposits into high-grade specular hematite and magnetite. The ore occurred as massive, shimmering grey beds of micaceous hematite often associated with quartz and magnetite. Historically, the mine opened in 1867 and remained a major producer for several decades, playing a vital role in the industrial development of the Upper Peninsula. Although the primary era of underground mining concluded in 1912, the site saw intermittent activity and reworking of stockpiles in later years. Today, the massive waste rock piles remain a famous destination for mineral collectors seeking the brilliant, mirror-like specularite that once made this mine a cornerstone of Michigan iron production.

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