Calcite on Sphalerite – Elmwood Mine DS1419 Online now

Calcite on Sphalerite – Elmwood Mine DS1419

Calcite on Sphalerite
Approx. Dimensions: 5 x 3 x 1.5 inches
Approx. Weight: 562 grams
Locality: Elmwood Mine, Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee

Acrylic base and putty not included, but can be purchased in our Stands, Mounts, and Accessories section.

The combination of calcite and sphalerite offers a lovely contrast of colors, with light golden scalenohedral calcite crystals strewn about a dark brown sphalerite matrix. The crystals on this cluster are in great condition, with only a few having very minor damage. The calcite crystals will glow under a long-wave UV light, as shown in the last photo.

Part of a zinc occurrence first discovered in 1969, the Elmwood Mine was first operated in 1975. It closed in 2004 due to the mine owner company’s closure, but reopened in 2010 under new operators. Elmwood has produced world class specimens of calcite and fluorite, as well as barite and sphalerite. Sadly, the mine was closed once again at the end of December, 2023.