Sphalerite on Quartz with Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2312057

location:
Mogilata deposit, Septemvri Mine, Madan, Smolyan, Bulgaria

description:
Sharp lustrous black crystals of sphalerite to 2.3 cm in size on a crystallized quartz matrix with chalcopyrite. This is in terrific condition.

The Mogilata deposit, accessed via the Septemvri Mine within the Madan ore field of the Smolyan province in southern Bulgaria, is situated in the central Rhodope Mountains. Its geology is defined by Paleogene hydrothermal vein and carbonate-replacement systems cutting through a metamorphic basement of Precambrian to Paleozoic gneisses, schists, and marbles. Mineralization formed from meteoric-hydrothermal fluids driven by Oligocene magmatic activity, producing significant deposits of lead and zinc. Commercial underground mining in the area expanded significantly during the mid-twentieth century under state-run operations. The deposit is well known among mineral collectors for yielding crystal specimens of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, and quartz, alongside carbonate gangue minerals such as rhodochrosite and calcite.

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