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Mineral Specimens with Sphalerite
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14.2 x 5.0 x 0.6 cm. The Amethyst Vein in Creede was an amazing area that measured three miles long and produced some incredibly memorable pieces from this famous Silver mining district. This polished slab is a good example of the well known "sowbelly" variety of Amethyst/Quartz that was synonymous with this mine. It is actually nothing more than a polished section of the actual vein in the mine. The specimen was mined in the 1960s, and shows beautifully banded layers of white Quartz and purple Amethyst along with some dark greenish Sphalerite. One of the most impressive features of this specimen is the fact that it is rather gemmy when backlit. The slab has a blocky shape, as it was obviously cut against other pieces from the same chunk of ore. A fine piece of this now hard to find and classic material. Ex. Brian Kosnar Collection.
5.6 x 4.8 x 4.3 cm. Lengenbach is a very famous, important locality for many rare species, and yet perhaps the most normal species is sphalerite and they are equally treasured amongst the far more rare species here. The best of the sphalerites are absolute jewels, like this one: totally gemmy and with a bright amber color when lit up. This crystal is 5mm, sharp, and protected in a slight cavity in marble matrix. From the Museum of Bern, with catalogue label on the back.
MD-284763 - Sphalerite, Galena, Johannsenite - - Archived
Iron Cap Mine, Landsman Camp (Landsman group), Aravaipa, Santa Teresa Mts, Aravaipa District, Graham Co., Arizona, USA
small cabinet, 6.5 x 6.0 x 4.0 cm.
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6.5 x 6.0 x 4.0 cm. Although it does not look like much to the worldwide collector, this is actually a pretty good combination, locality piece for this mine. The johannsenite is the small brownish crystalline material forming the blanket in which are set sharp sphalerites, and matte galena. From the well-known Tucson collection of 40-year collector, Harold Urish.
9.0 x 8.8 x 0.5 cm. A fantastic and historic slabbed specimen of Gold (var "Electrum") from the famous Idarado mine (650 Level, Tomboy Vein). The Gold has a lustrous, bright, metallic appearance, and stands out beautifully against the snow-white Quartz and black Sphalerite matrix. It was collected by Andy Sutyak of Ouray, Colorado in 1927. The piece later went to Clancy Fleetwood (Brian Kosnar's great-grandfather), and in 1984 became part of the famous Colorado mineral collection of Richard Kosnar, whose hand-painted catalogue number (G1084Tb) is on the bottom of the specimen. Ex. Richard Kosnar Collection.
3.4 x 2.8 x 1.8 cm. A true, old-time, combination classic from the Joplin Field of the Tri-State District. Canary-yellow greenockite is included in striking radial sprays of gemmy hemimorphite blades. The sprays are richly and attractively scattered on the 3-dimensional matrix of translucent, honey-yellow sphalerite crystals on limestone matrix. Highly desirable and very showy combination material, at least 50 years old, from this historic district. From the noted Tri-State collection of George Feist.
A TOP QUALITY piece from a classic mine that is now closed for good, with the supply of specimens having already dried up on the market. These are wonderful ZONED transparent purple cubes to 2 cm on edge, piled attractively on top of a dome of sparkling deep red sphalerite, with two large, euhedral sphalerite crystals right below the fluorites. The crystals are pristine; the back of the specimen is a natural flat contact face. 6.9 x 6.6 x 4.2 cm
The photo makes the luster look a bit strange, but in person it is a nice shiny silver-metallic. This is a superbly-articulated, architectural crystal, 4.5 cm across accented by sphalerite on a carefully-trimmed matrix. VERY NICE! 5.4 x 5.2 x 3.6 cm
You would be amazed at how quickly Elmwood stuff has disappeared from the market following the closing of the mine, and the prices are going straight up. This specimen features three main fluorites with some little ones, on sphalerite. The largest crystal shows one of the unique gemmy yellow corners that are characteristic of the larger purple fluorites from this mine, sometimes cut into gemstones (this crystal has a contact on the back where the piece was removed from matrix, but all crystals are complete on the display face). The large crystal is about 3.5 cm on edge, the smaller ones about 2.5. 7.0 x 4.7 x 4.2 cm
A pristine, transparent purple fluorite, on a BIG, sparkly, deep red compound sphalerite crystal, all perched on a thin matrix of dolomite. It is harder and harder to get fine pieces like this from the Elmwood and nearby Gordonsville, now closed for good. 6.2 x 4.3 x 3.6 cm
A pretty combo specimen from the now-closed Elmwood. Elmwood specimens have virtually dried up from the market as people hoard them following the closing of the mine – they once were plentiful. This specimen features a SUPERB, lustrous and flashy compound crystal of sphalerite, 4 cm across, with a calcite twin at its side. The twin has a clean cleave at one tip that does not detract from the overall beauty of the specimen. 5.9 x 3.8 x 3.1 cm
This crystal, intricately zoned, has the best glassy and gemmy qualities you could ask for. It is centrally perched on matrix. They just don't make them much better! The mines are now closed, and specimens of this quality simply haven't been available in years at ANY price. As expensive as they may seem now to those of us who remember picking through tonnes of the stuff as a kid, they can only go up in price further as demand continues for those who want to own a great US classic, and yet the supply now is only from recycled collections. Even when common, though, this one would stand out for quality... 7.2 x 4.8 x 3.4 cm
A classic barite “ball”, complete all around, atop a “base” of sphalerite crystals. Since the closing of the Elmwood, specimens have rapidly gone from being relatively plentiful to noticeably scarce. 11 x 9 x 7 cm
The galenas and the sphalerites compete for superb luster and perfection of crystallization in this specimen! Gorgeous overall form, an unusually aesthetic Naica specimen. 4.6 x 4.2 x 3.5 cm
Benstonite was one of the more rare species found in the Illinois fluorspar district. Specimens were exceptionally uncommon, and tended to go back aways, even before the mines closed in the late 1990s. This piece features a doubly-terminated benstonite cluster of 5 cm (just over two inches) perched smartly and well exposed on contrasting sphalerite matrix. A very aesthetic specimen, which is rare indeed for this material! It displays superbly and should be considered a competition level specimen. 7.8 x 4.9 x 4 cm
A large and showy specimen covered all around with pagoda-like towers of benstonite! This piece is amazingly, nearly pristine. It is one of the largest benstonite specimens I have ever seen for sale, and is certainly the richest in terms of coverage. The pedigree is an added bonus. 7.5 x 6.5 x 6 cm
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Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
All Content and Design ©1996-2012 The Arkenstone
Mineral Specimens by species; or
by specimen id.
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![Quartz (Var: Amethyst), Sphalerite from Last Chance Mine (Del Monte Mine; New York Nine), Amethyst Vein, Creede District, Mineral Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284029a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284029a.jpg)
![Sphalerite from Lengenbach Quarry, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Binn Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284724a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284724a.jpg)
![Sphalerite from Lengenbach Quarry, Im Feld (Imfeld; Feld; Fäld), Binn Valley, Wallis (Valais), Switzerland [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284724b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284724b.jpg)
![Sphalerite, Galena, Johannsenite from Iron Cap Mine, Landsman Camp (Landsman group), Aravaipa, Santa Teresa Mts, Aravaipa District, Graham Co., Arizona, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284763a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284763a.jpg)
![Gold (Var: Electrum), Quartz, Sphalerite from Idarado Mine, Telluride, Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), San Miguel Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845a.jpg)
![Gold (Var: Electrum), Quartz, Sphalerite from Idarado Mine, Telluride, Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), San Miguel Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845b.jpg)
![Gold (Var: Electrum), Quartz, Sphalerite from Idarado Mine, Telluride, Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), San Miguel Co., Colorado, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845c.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-284845c.jpg)
![Greenockite, Hemimorphite, Sphalerite from Joplin Field, Tri-State District, Jasper Co., Missouri, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-285103a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-285103a.jpg)
![Greenockite, Hemimorphite, Sphalerite from Joplin Field, Tri-State District, Jasper Co., Missouri, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-285103b.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-285103b.jpg)
![Fluorite, Sphalerite from Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-32365a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-32365a.jpg)
![Galena, Sphalerite from Borieva mine, Madan ore field, Rhodope Mts, Smolyan Oblast, Bulgaria [db_pics/mdpics/MD-34653a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-34653a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Sphalerite from Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-34768a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-34768a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Sphalerite from Gordonsville Mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-34771a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-34771a.jpg)
![Calcite, Sphalerite from Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37011a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37011a.jpg)
![Fluorite, Sphalerite from Annabel Lee mine, Harris Creek Sub-District, Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37483a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37483a.jpg)
![Baryte, Sphalerite from Elmwood mine, Carthage, Central Tennessee Ba-F-Pb-Zn District, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37743a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37743a.jpg)
![Galena, Sphalerite from Naica, Mun. de Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37750a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37750a.jpg)
![Benstonite, Sphalerite from Minerva No. 1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37921a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37921a.jpg)
![Benstonite, Sphalerite, Fluorite from Minerva No. 1 Mine, Cave-in-Rock, Cave-in-Rock Sub-District, Illinois - Kentucky Fluorspar District, Hardin Co., Illinois, USA [db_pics/mdpics/MD-37922a.jpg]](db_pics/mdpics/MD-37922a.jpg)