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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4235
Location: Germany
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 Posted: Aug 23, 2016 05:50 Post subject: Favourite Sphalerites? |
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... I had to collect minerals for more than 20 years until I started to like and to collect sphalerite. I always loved galena and pyrite, but no other sulfide mineral was interesting to me. I changed my mind this year when a fellow collector gave up his sphalerite collection and I had the chance to purchase some fine specimens from him. He always made fun of me when I thought of sphalerite as a rather "boring" mineral and he was sure I would change my mind after seeing his collection. He was right, I changed my mind, but he gave up his idea of collecting a sphalerite from every known locality (!) in the world and so he sold most of his specimens and started to collect Tsumeb ;-) I really begin to like that mineral and I'd like to know what other collector's favourite localities for that mineral are. Mine are (so far):
- Krushev dol mine, Madan ore field, Rhodope Mts, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria
- Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA
- Trepča complex, Trepča valley, Kosovska Mitrovica, District of Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo
- Dzhezkazgan Mine, Dzhezkazgan, Karagandy Province, Kazakhstan
- Dal'negorsk, Kavalerovo Mining District, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region, Russia
- Steinperf, Dillenburg District, Hesse, Germany
Regards
Tobi
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Jack Thurber
Joined: 18 Dec 2009
Posts: 11
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 07:40 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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| - Standard Slag Quarry, Adams County, Ohio, USA
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Peter Megaw
Site Admin
Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 973
Location: Tucson, Arizona
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 08:18 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico
Naica, Chihuahus, Mexico
Bolivar Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico
Bismark Mine, Ascencion, Chihuahua, Mexico
Flor de Pena Mine, Lampazos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (crystallized matrix of legrandite type specimen)
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Siempre Adelante! |
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 5021
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 08:29 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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The reddish-honey Sphalerite from the Áliva mining area!
| Mineral: | Sphalerite with Dolomite |
| Locality: | | Áliva Mine (Las Mánforas Mine), Áliva mining area, Camaleño, Comarca Liébana, Cantabria, Spain |  |
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| Description: |
| Specimen size: 3.6 × 2.1 × 2.2 cm |
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| Viewed: |
41979 Time(s) |
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 09:07 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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The Spanish locality has to be near the top of anyone's list. I would add:
Penfield and Walworth Quarries, New York
Several English localities
Inner Mongolia
Cave-in-Rock/Rosiclare, Illinois, USA
The Tri-State District - Picher, Oklahoma; Treece, Kansas and Joplin, Missouri
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 5021
Location: Barcelona
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 09:09 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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| Photos please! Photos please!!! ;-) ;-)
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Peter
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 346
Location: Sweden / Luxembourg
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 09:15 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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Anyone who visited Munuch Show 1985 will have very vivid memories of a SPANISH DEALER WITH A STAND OF INCREDIBLE and ONLY SPHALERITE and yes of courser forom the Mines in the Picos de Europa region. Lovely gem crystal with ands on matrix, the largest one flawless 30 cm diameter and glowing!
Never seen the like again
And yes, they do not need to be such large and gem my, there were p,entry 5-10 cm gem ones too and all of mmy money had already gone to one specimen, a very old Russian 20 cm aquamarine.. not a penny left
Peter
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James Catmur
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 1462
Location: Cambridge
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 10:25 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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I love the ones from Las Manforas Mine, especially as I have collected there a few times.
| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Áliva Mine (Las Mánforas Mine), Áliva mining area, Camaleño, Comarca Liébana, Cantabria, Spain | |
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| Dimensions: | 1cm x 1cm crystal |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41830 Time(s) |
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Les Presmyk
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 10:39 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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| I have one from there as well. Very attractive but not large. Back to Peter's description of the Spanish dealer's booth - that must have been quite a sight to experience. One has to wonder where they all have gone.
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Jamison Brizendine
Joined: 27 Feb 2014
Posts: 128
Location: Northeast Ohio
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 10:52 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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My favorite sphalerite localities are (in no particular order):
-Madan Ore Field, Bulgaria
-Tri-State District (OK-KS-MO), United States
-Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee, United States
-Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin County, Illinois, United States
-various Ohio localities (Lime City Quarry, Millersville Quarry, Auglaize Quarry, Bluffton
Quarry, Plum Run Quarry, Standard Slag Quarry [Adams County])
...and since Jordi would like a picture...here is one below
| Mineral: | Galena, Sphalerite, Quartz, Calcite |
| Locality: | | W.L. Davis-Deardorff Mine, Ozark-Mahoning group, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, Hardin County, Illinois, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 7 cm x 9 cm x 11.5 cm |
| Description: |
| A cabinet specimen of several different minerals from the Sub-Rosiclare Level of the W.L. Davis - Deardorff Mine. This was in the former collection of Dr. Perry and Anne Bynum and Ross Lillie. |
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| Viewed: |
41873 Time(s) |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4235
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 11:18 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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| Jordi Fabre wrote: | | Photos please! Photos please!!! ;-) ;-) |
Aye aye, captain! ;-) Here are the four specimens that are currently in my collection (not counting specimens with sphalerite as accessory mineral) and that I purchased after my interest in that mineral began:
| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith County, Tennessee, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | Specimen size 12 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41836 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Dzhezkazgan Mine, Dzhezkazgan, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan | |
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| Dimensions: | Specimen size 4 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41828 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Krushev dol Mine, Madan mining area, Rhodope Mountains, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria | |
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| Dimensions: | Specimen size 7 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41823 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Meggen Mine, Lennestadt, Olpe, Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia/Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany | |
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| Dimensions: | Specimen size 6 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41913 Time(s) |
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Bob Harman
Joined: 06 Nov 2015
Posts: 765
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 14:08 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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Primarily collecting Indiana minerals, I have a number of self collected sphalerites from different Indiana localities. These 2 are from Washington County. Both were self collected in February 2014.
| Mineral: | dolomite on sphalerite on dolomite |
| Locality: | | State Route 56 road cut, Canton, Washington County, Indiana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | both geodes are about 5 cm and both sphalerites are about 3.3 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41794 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | dolomite on sphalerite on dolomite |
| Locality: | | State Route 56 road cut, Canton, Washington County, Indiana, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | geode is 5 cm, the sphalerite is 3.3 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41783 Time(s) |
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Michael Shaw
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 2226
Location: Oklahoma
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| Posted: Aug 23, 2016 15:14 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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As a group, the sulfides are probably my favorite, and sphalerite ranks 2nd just behind galena as one of my favorite minerals. No surprise that my list of favorite locations is very similar to the others mentioned, but I will add the mines in Maramures, Romania, the Huaron Mines in Peru, and the Kanjiawan Deposit in Hunan, China. A few of my favorites are shown below.
| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Picher Field, Tri-State District, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 7.0 x 11.7 cm |
| Description: |
| Resinous brownish-black sphalerite crystals to 2.5 cm with epitactic chalcopyrite and small “ruby jack” sphalerites on chert. |
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| Viewed: |
41729 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Commodore Mine, Creede District, Mineral County, Colorado, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 5.0 x 6.5 cm |
| Description: |
| A classic Creede sulfide combination consisting of dark, sherry-colored sphalerite crystals to 1 cm with brassy chalcopyrite crystals and late stage, hoppered, cubic galena crystals. |
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| Viewed: |
41686 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Borieva Mine, Madan mining area, Rhodope Mountains, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria | |
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| Dimensions: | 8.0 x 9.0 cm |
| Description: |
| Lustrous, black sphalerite crystals to 2.5 cm in association with slender, transparent quartz crystals. |
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| Viewed: |
41699 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Androvo Mine, Erma Reka, Zlatograd, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria | |
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| Dimensions: | 5.5 x 5.5 cm |
| Description: |
| Sharp, black sphalerite crystals to 1.5 cm with unusual flattened terminations. |
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| Viewed: |
41688 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Cavnic mining area, Cavnic, Maramures, Romania | |
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| Dimensions: | 6.0 x 7.5 cm |
| Description: |
| Lustrous slightly translucent crystals of twinned black sphalerite to 2.0 cm set on a matrix with crystallized white calcite and quartz. |
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| Viewed: |
41697 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Steetley Ohio Lime Quarry (Steetley Resources Inc. Ohio Lime Quarry), Millersville, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA | |
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| Dimensions: | 5.0 x 7.5 cm |
| Description: |
| Small ruby jack sphalerite crystals lining shallow cavities in gray limestone. |
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| Viewed: |
41768 Time(s) |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite |
| Locality: | | Cowgreen area, Teesdale, North Pennines Orefield, County Durham, England / United Kingdom | |
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| Dimensions: | 5.7 x 8.8 cm |
| Description: |
| Lustrous, black, sphalerite groups measuring up to 1.0 cm on rhombic ankerite with white calcite and quartz. |
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| Viewed: |
41692 Time(s) |
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4235
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Aug 24, 2016 01:27 Post subject: Re: Favourite Sphalerite localities? |
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| crosstimber wrote: | Sphalerite
Cowgreen area, Teesdale, North Pennines, County Durham, England |
Very nice, I like that one!
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am mizunaka
Joined: 09 Apr 2010
Posts: 2182
Location: USA
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| Posted: Aug 24, 2016 19:49 Post subject: Re: Favourite sphalerite localities? |
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| Mineral: | Sphalerite, Quartz, Galena |
| Locality: | | Niigata Prefecture, Chubu Region, Honshu Island, Japan | |
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| Dimensions: | 6.0 x 5.5 cm |
| Description: |
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| Viewed: |
41441 Time(s) |
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