Sphalerite with Chalcopyrite, Galena

specimen number:
2312518

location:
Borieva Miine, Madan, Smolyan, Bulgaria

description:
Lustrous black crystals of sphalerite covering the top of matrix with metallic lustrous crystals of galena and golden chalcopyrite. In excellent condition.

The Borieva Mine, situated within the renowned Madan ore field of the Smolyan Province in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, has a rich mining history dating back to antiquity, with ancient Thracian and Roman workings documented across the district. Modern industrial extraction developed heavily during the twentieth century, transitioning through various state and international operational phases. Geologically, the deposit is part of a complex hydrothermal system where tertiary fluids interacted with metamorphic host rocks and marble layers, producing subvertical veins and metasomatic replacement skarn bodies. Mineralogically, the mine is world-famous among collectors for yielding exceptional, highly aesthetic specimens of metallic sulfides and associated gangue minerals, most notably lustrous galena, sphalerite, brilliant pyrite cubes, quartz, calcite, etc.

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