Sphalerite

This sphalerite comes from the obscure Sa Dena Hes Mine in the Yukon, a locality rarely seen in the mineral market. It features a cluster of lustrous, dark brown sphalerite, with black octahedral crystals. The crystals are possibly coated with goethite or a manganese oxide, adding to their unique appearance. Mineral specimens from this mine are extremely rare, as the Sa Dena Hes Mine was only in operation for a brief period, from August 1991 until November 1992, when operations ceased due to low zinc prices. During its 14-month production, the mine produced around 607,500 tonnes of concentrate containing significant amounts of zinc and lead. The mine is permanently closed. The sphalerite has been mounted on acrylic for display.