SPHALERITE [((Zn,Fe)S)]

Listing Description:

Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S) is a mineral that is the chief ore of zinc. It consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron. When iron content is high it is an opaque black variety, marmatite.

Detailed Description:

It is usually found in association with galena, pyrite, and other sulfides along with calcite, dolomite, and fluorite. Miners have also been known to refer to sphalerite as zinc blende, black-jack, and ruby jack.

Occurrence

Sphalerite is the major ore of zinc and is found in thousands of locations worldwide.^[2]

Sources of high quality crystals include:^[3]

·         Freiberg, Saxony, and Neudorf, Harz Mountains of Germany

·         The Lengenbach Quarry, Binntal, Valais, Switzerland, has produced colorless crystals.

·         Horni Slavkov (Schlaggenwald) and Pribram, Czech Republic

·         From Rodna, Romania

·         Transparent green to opaque black Madan, Smolyan Province, Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria;

·         Transparent crystals in the Aliva mine, Picos de Europa Mountains, Cantabria [Santander] Province, Spain

·         In England, from Alston Moor, Cumbria

·         At Dalnegorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Russia

·         In Canada

·         Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

·         Gord Cowie at Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting processes Sphalerite in Flin Flon, Manitoba

·         In the US

·         the Tri-State district including deposits near Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas; Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri and Picher, Ottawa County, Oklahoma

·         From the Elmwood mine, near Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee

·         the Eagle mine, Gilman district, Eagle County, Colorado

·         In Mexico, from Santa Eulalia and Naica, Chihuahua, and Cananea, Sonora

·         Huaron, Casapalca, and Huancavelica, Peru

·         In Zinkgruvan, Sweden.

Gemstone use

Crystals of suitable size and transparency have been fashioned into gemstones, usually featuring the brilliant cut to best display sphalerite's high dispersion of 0.156 (B-G interval)—over three times that of diamond. Freshly cut gems have an adamantine luster. Owing to their softness and fragility the gems are often left unset as collector's or museum pieces (although some have been set into pendants). Gem-quality material is usually a yellowish to honey brown, red to orange, or green.

PRICE

$2.68/KG OR $1.21/IB

For more information:

mobile: +2348039721941

contact person: emeaba uche

e-mail: emeabau@yahoo.com

website: www.franchiseminerals.com