Sphalerite

specimen number:
1655493

location:
Blackdene Mine, Weardale, Co. Durham, England, UK

description:
Lustrous black crystals of sphalerite very nice across the top of matrix. In good condition with very minimal micro-damage present.

The Blackdene Mine is located near the village of Ireshopeburn in Weardale, County Durham, within the Northern Pennine Orefield of England. Geologically, it is a classic Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposit where mineralizing fluids moved through the Carboniferous-aged Great Limestone and associated sandstones and shales. The mineralization occurs primarily as a series of steeply dipping hydrothermal veins, such as the Blackdene Vein, which formed approximately 290 million years ago during the Variscan Orogeny. Historically, the mine has a long record of production dating back several centuries, initially worked for lead and later becoming a major source of industrial fluorite until its closure in 1987.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.