Sphalerite

specimen number:
2063477

location:
Mid-Continent Mine, Treece, Kansas, USA

description:

A good sharp example from this once prolific locality. Sharp twinned lustrous crystals of sphalerite to 2.7 cm in size aesthetically arranged across the top of a brecciated chert matrix. This is in great condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

Situated in Cherokee County in southeastern Kansas, the Mid-Continent Mine was part of the famous Tri-State Mining District, a world-class Mississippi Valley-type ore deposit hosted within Paleozoic cherty limestones. Active during the peak era of lead and zinc extraction in the early to mid-twentieth century, the underground mine produced large volumes of sphalerite and galena ore alongside impressive associate minerals such as chalcopyrite, marcasite, dolomite, and gemmy calcite crystals. Mining operations generated massive chat piles and eventually led to severe environmental degradation, resulting in the abandonment of Treece and its designation as part of the Tar Creek Superfund site. Despite safety restrictions and subsequent environmental remediation projects, specimens collected from the Mid-Continent Mine remain celebrated by mineral collectors for their spectacular crystal habits and historical importance to American mining heritage.

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