Description
Denton Mine, Harris Creek Sub-District, Hardin County, Illinois, USA
Perched aesthetically on altered limestone matrix is a cluster of gemmy sphalerite crystals. They are mixed with brassy mounds of complex chalcopyrite and small cubes of purple fluorite on the very edges of the plate. Dark red to black in daylight, the sphalerite crystals are translucent with strong or backlighting showing their gemminess. The colors range from honey amber to reddish orange. Called “ruby jack” sphalerite in older times, the Denton mine was a prolific producer of sphalerite, but very few good specimens were recovered or remain. This plate is excellent for its complex crystals which are relatively large size for the pieces from this mine. Denton mine is classic for its fluorites, but it also produced great sulfides.
7.80 x 5.00 x 3.00 cm
