Sphalerite with Chalcopyrite, Quartz

specimen number:
2212295

location:
Ballard Mine, Cherokee Co., Kansas, USA

description:
Lustrous crystals of sphalerite on matrix with epitaxial chalcopyrite. In good condition. Some of the smaller sphalerite crystals are gemmy and red.

The Ballard Mine, located near Baxter Springs in the extreme southeastern corner of Cherokee County, Kansas, was an active underground operation within the historic Tri-State Lead and Zinc Mining District. Geologically, the deposit is situated within Mississippi-age carbonate rocks of the Ozark Plateau, where lead and zinc sulfide ores were concentrated in brecciated chert beds and limestone formations. Mineralogically, the mine yielded typical Tri-State assemblages dominated by sphalerite and galena, accompanied by gangue minerals such as dolomite, calcite, and chert. Historically, heavy mining activity in this Kansas sector accelerated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the Ballard Mine operating as a notable deep-extraction site before regional metal production permanently wound down and ceased across the district around 1970.

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