Galena

A sharp thumbnail specimen featuring two well-formed cubic galena crystals perched on matrix and accented by numerous tiny sphalerite crystals. The galena displays bright metallic lustre with cube faces covered in epitaxial galena overgrowths. Aesthetic and well-balanced, this is an excellent miniature from one of the classic lead-zinc mining districts of North America.

The Federal-Gordon Mine, located near Picher in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, was one of the principal producers of the famous Tri-State Mining District, which spans parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. From the late 1800s through the mid-20th century, the district became one of the world's leading sources of lead and zinc, producing millions of tonnes of ore and yielding superb collector specimens of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, calcite, and other sulphides. Today the mines are long closed, and quality specimens from these historic workings have become increasingly sought after by collectors of classic American minerals.