Smithsonite on Ankerite, Sphalerite

specimen number:
2063732

location:
Empire Zinc Mine, Hanover-Fierro, Grant Co., New Mexico, USA

description:
Flattened rhombohedral crystals of ankerite measuring to 1.4 cm in size across the top of a sphalerite matrix. Small pale yellowish to colorless crystals of smithsonite are coating the ankerite crystals. Very slight damage present, this still in good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark. He collected the piece in 1982.

The Empire Zinc Mine, situated in the Hanover-Fierro district of Grant County, New Mexico, is famous for its extensive hydrothermal replacement deposit formed by igneous intrusions into Paleozoic limestone and dolomite beds. Active mining began in the late nineteenth century to harvest lead, zinc, and copper, eventually expanding into a major operation under the Empire Zinc Company during the twentieth century. Millions of tons of ore were processed from underground shafts and open pits until operations wound down in the mid-1900s. Collectors prize the locality for its dramatic skarn mineralogy, notably sharp crystals of dark sphalerite, magnetite, calcite, and distinctive green and brown garnet group minerals. The site holds a lasting place in both American mining history and classic Southwestern mineral collecting.

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