Sphalerite

specimen number:
8911224

location:
Nancy Jane Mine, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, USA

description:
Sparkling red gemmy crystals of sphalerite measuring to 0.1 cm in size scattered quite richly across the front of matrix. In good condition. This is the type of sphalerite that the miners used to call Ruby Jack. The specimen comes with a previous label from the Alton collection.

Located within the famous Tri-State Mining District in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, the Nancy Jane Mine targeted extensive Mississippi Valley-type ore deposits hosted in Paleozoic limestones and cherts. Hydrothermal fluids migrating through faulted and fractured carbonate strata deposited rich concentrations of zinc and lead, predominantly in the form of sphalerite and galena. Active during the peak mining era of the early to mid-twentieth century, the underground workings contributed to the regional production of strategic metals while also yielding fine mineral specimens. Mine collectors and historical mineralogists value the locality for its classic combinations of lustrous galena cubes, dark sphalerite crystals, and associated secondary minerals such as chalcopyrite, marcasite, and dolomite.

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