Open Adit™ - Sphalerite Datasheet

Home

Galleries

New Arrivals

News

Links

Site Map

FAQ

Back

Sphalerite (Blende) is a mineral that is the chief ore of zinc. It consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron as (Zn,Fe)S. It is usually found in association with galena, pyrite, and other sulfides along with calcite, dolomite, and fluorite. Miners have also been known to refer to sphalerite as zinc blende, mock lead, false galena and black-jack.

Chemistry:

(ZnFe)S - Zinc Iron Sulfide

Class:

Sulfides

Group:

Sphalerite Group

Crystal:

Isometric (Cubic)

Color:

Colorless, yellow, orange, green, brown, black

Streak:

Brownish, light-yellow, white

Luster:

Resinous to adamantine

Diaphaneity:

Transparent, translucent, opaque

4.1

3.5 - 4

Perfect

Conchoidal

Tetrahedral and dodecahedral crystals, botryoidal, fibrous and stalactitic aggregates, massive

Luminescence:

Sometimes orange

Frequency:

Abundant

Origin:

Magmatic (liquid in pegmatites); hydrothermal in low- to high-temperature deposits, skarns, hydrothermal sedimentary deposits; rare sedimentary and metamorphic. It occurs together with galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, marcasite, fluorite, barite, quartz and other minerals.

Occurence:

Cumberland, Elmwood, and Gordonsville mines, Smith Co., Tennessee, USA; Joplin, Missouri, USA; Cananea, Sonora, Mexico; Dalnegorsk, Russia; Oppu mine, Aomori, Japan.

Application:

A major ore of zinc and as a mineral specimen

Sphalerite Gallery

Metaphysical Properties

Home

Galleries

Add to Favorites

News

Site Map

FAQ