Tetrahedrite

specimen number:
2262207

location:
Cavnic, Maramures Co., Romania

description:
Bright lustrous metallic sharp crystals of tetrahedrite rich across the top of matrix. In good condition. Quite nice for the species from this old Romanian locality. The specimen comes with a previous collection data card with an original acquisition date for this piece in 1967.

The Cavnic mining district, located in the Maramures County of northern Romania, is a world-renowned hydrothermal vein deposit famous for its diverse and well-crystallized mineral species, particularly tetrahedrite. Geologically, the site is situated within the Gutai Mountains of the Eastern Carpathians, where Neogene volcanic activity produced a complex system of epithermal base-metal veins hosted in both volcanic rocks and Paleogene sedimentary strata. These veins contain a rich mineral assemblage of galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, with tetrahedrite occurring as brilliant, metallic-gray tetrahedral crystals often associated with quartz, rhodochrosite, and fluorite. Historically, mining and underground quarrying at Cavnic date back to at least the 14th century, with formal royal mining administration established during the 18th-century Austro-Hungarian era. The district operated as a major European source of lead, zinc, copper, and precious metals through several centuries of continuous activity, reaching modern industrial peaks in the mid-20th century before the closure of the large-scale state-run mines in 2006.

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