Sphalerite with Galena

specimen number:
2212059

location:
Grace Walker Mine, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma, USA

description:
Bright lustrous twinned crystals of sphalerite to 3.0 cm in size across the sphalerite matrix with crystals of galena. In good condition.

The Grace Walker Mine, located near Picher in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, was a prominent producer within the Oklahoma portion of the Tri-State Mining District. Geologically, the mine exploited Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) mineralization, where hydrothermal fluids deposited galena and sphalerite within the brecciated cherts and limestones of the Mississippian-aged Boone Formation. The locality is mineralogically notable for producing high-quality specimens of lead and zinc ores, often associated with aesthetic clusters of pink rhombohedral dolomite and occasionally chalcopyrite. Historically, mining and quarrying at the Grace Walker site were most active during the first half of the 20th century, particularly from the 1910s through the 1940s, contributing to the massive output of the Picher Field during both World Wars. As part of the largest lead-zinc producing region in the world at the time, the mine supported a booming local economy before the gradual depletion of high-grade ore led to a decline in activity. Most commercial mining operations in this sector of the district ceased by the late 1960s, and the area was later included in the Tar Creek Superfund site for environmental reclamation.

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