Sphalerite, Galena

A plate of rather lustrous metallic grey galena crystals sits on a matrix of sharp red-brown sphalerite with reticulated silver flashes. Looking at the underside of the specimen one can see that the core of the specimen is also made up of galena. Looks great and is a wonderful example of the kind of ore that once came from this historic locality.

The Pine Point Mine was located on the southern shore of Great Slave Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories, discovered in the late 19th century by fur traders at Fort Resolution, who learned of the lead ores from the First Nations. A minor staking rush occurred in 1898, and major exploration work took place from 1928 to 1930, but it was halted by the Great Depression.

Geological investigation by Cominco after World War II led to new theories about the ore deposits, and by 1955, extensive exploration had outlined several thousand tons of ore along a 20 km (12 mi) belt. The Government of Canada built the Great Slave Railway from Grimshaw, Alberta to the mine, completed in 1964 and integrated into the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail). The mine produced lead and zinc ores between 1964 and 1988, primarily through open-pit methods. Official production began in 1965, and Cominco built the town of Pine Point to support the mine. Pine Point grew to nearly 2,000 residents before closing in 1988, leading to the town’s abandonment. In December 2017, Osisko Metals acquired the mine, with further exploration underway. The Pine Point Project is now owned by Pine Point Mining, a joint venture between Osisko Metals and Appian Natural Resources, formed in 2023.