Galena

A striking miniature featuring exceptionally lustrous galena crystals displaying the classic "hobnail" habit for which the Joplin Field is renowned. The principal crystals exhibit modified cubic forms with numerous isolated and interconnected octahedral and cubo-octahedral overgrowths decorating the crystal faces, producing a wonderfully sculptural, stepped appearance.

The Joplin Field forms part of the historic Tri-State Mining District, a world-famous Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposit spanning southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these mines produced some of the finest crystallized galena ever discovered, including the remarkable "hobnail" and skeletal forms that have become iconic among mineral collectors. Attractive specimens such as this remain highly sought after for their distinctive crystal morphology and classic American locality.