Strontianite with Fluorite

specimen number:
2092152

location:
Minerva Mine #1, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Choice crystallized colorless strontianite across the top of this matrix with light purple crystals of fluorite. In very good condition, nice combination piece with the species for this locality. The fluorite crystal grouping forms what some people refer to as a toadstool fluorite.

The Minerva No. 1 Mine, located in Hardin County, Illinois, was one of the major producers in the Illinois Kentucky Fluorspar District, a region well known for its fluorite deposits. Developed in the mid 20th century and operated by the Ozark Mahoning Company, the mine consisted of extensive underground workings that followed mineralized veins through limestone host rock. Fluorite was the primary commodity, mined for use in the steel and chemical industries, and was commonly associated with minerals such as calcite, galena, and sphalerite. The mine became one of the leading sources of fluorspar in the United States during its peak years of operation. As demand declined and economic conditions changed, the mine eventually closed, but it remains an important locality both for its industrial history and for the high quality mineral specimens it produced.

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