Marcasite, Dolomite, Sphalerite

This specimen features brassy, sharp 'cockscomb marcasite' crystals, uniformly distributed over a sphalerite matrix, with a light dusting of dolomite in some areas. It originates from the historic Tri-State District, a renowned lead-zinc mining region.

The Tri-State District, covering Cherokee County, Kansas, and Ottawa County, Oklahoma, just west of the Missouri state line. Mining operations began in the 1870s and continued until the 1970s. The Picher field alone contained around 1,500 mine shafts and over 100,000 boreholes by the time mining ceased. The town of Picher, once a center of mining activity, was disincorporated in 2009 and declared uninhabitable due to severe environmental and health concerns arising from past mining operations.