Zinkenite

specimen number:
2262066

location:
Itos Mine, Oruro, Bolivia

description:

An outstanding example for the species, a bright lustrous compact cluster of metallic zinkenite crystals. Very minimal micro-damage present, for what this is, it is in really good condition.

The Itos Mine, located near the city of Oruro in the Oruro Department of Bolivia, is a classic hydrothermal vein deposit situated within the tin-silver belt of the Eastern Cordillera. Geologically, the mine is hosted in the San Jose dacitic volcanic dome, where mineralizing fluids formed complex sulfide and sulfosalt veins during the Miocene epoch. The locality is well-known for producing exceptional specimens of zinkenite, which typically occurs as steel-gray to lead-gray metallic crystals with a slender, needle-like or acicular habit, often forming dense, felt-like mats or radiating clusters within vugs. Historically, mining and quarrying operations at the Itos site have been closely linked to the larger San Jose mining complex, with significant activity occurring throughout the 20th century to extract silver, lead, and tin ores. While industrial production has fluctuated due to economic conditions and shifted toward cooperative mining models in recent decades, the mine remains an active and important locality for mineralogical research through 2026. Collectors prize the site for its high-quality sulfosalt specimens, which represent a significant chapter in the long and storied history of Bolivian mining.

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