Guide
Sphalerite specimens for sale
449 for sale · $30–$18,000 USD
2,134 in the gallery
Sphalerite is the zinc sulfide mineral that forms in a variety of crystal habits, from sharp, well-formed tetrahedra to more massive, smoky masses. Its color ranges across black, brown, yellow, and shades in between, often showing a resinous to adamantine luster that makes clean faces glow in reflected light. Crystals can be transparent to translucent and may occur in geodes, sulfide-rich veins, or hydrothermal deposits, frequently replacing or coexisting with other sulfide minerals.
- Formula
- ZnS
- Rarity
- Common
- Stability
- Stable
- Collector interest
- High Interest
- Classification notes
- Sulfide mineral; Strunz 2.C (Sphalerite group)
Key characteristics
- Crystal system
- isometric
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5–4
- Specific gravity
- 3.9–4.1
- Luster
- adamantine, resinous, submetallic
- Transparency
- transparent, translucent, opaque
- Color
- colorless, white, gray, black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green
- Streak
- white, yellow, brown
- Cleavage
- perfect
- Fracture
- conchoidal, uneven
- Crystal habit
- dodecahedral, druzy, granular, massive, equant
- Gem mineral
- Fluorescent: orange, yellow, red
- Classic / historic
Buy Sphalerite specimens
View all 449Where Sphalerite is found
Top localities
- Elmwood Mine263 specimens
- Ballard Mine93 specimens
- Picher Field66 specimens
- Naica61 specimens
- Áliva Mine46 specimens
- Eagle Mine42 specimens
- Herja Mine36 specimens
- Krushev dol Mine35 specimens
- Denton Mine32 specimens
- Cavnic31 specimens
Guides
All guides
Guide
Sphalerite from Trepča Stari Trg Mine, Kosovo
Trepča Stari Trg Mine, Kosovo - black, iron-rich sphalerite with strong luster and dramatic twinning, signaling skarn-hosted specimens prized by collectors.Read guide
Guide
Sphalerite from Naica Mine, Mexico
Naica Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico - famed for black, lustrous sphalerite crystals (often twinned) with galena, pyrite, and fluorite, a key locality for collectors.Read guide
Guide
Sphalerite from Madan Ore Field, Bulgaria
Madan Ore Field, Bulgaria: sphalerite specimens in dark resinous forms contrasting with galena and quartz, a premier European sulfide-collection locality.Read guide
Guide
Sphalerite from Áliva Mine, Spain
Áliva Mine sphalerite, Spain — caramel-blende with honey-yellow to cherry-red color, resinous luster, and benchmark gem-quality specimens prized by collectors.Read guide
Guide
Sphalerite from Huanzala Mine, Peru
Sphalerite from Huanzala Mine, Peru — brass-yellow to black crystals, often with pyrite and quartz; a striking Andean sulfide specimen with paragenetic history.Read guideAbout Sphalerite
Notable specimens come from classic mining districts in the United States, Bulgaria, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Peru, where sphalerite can occur with galena, pyrite, and chalcopyrite. Some locales produce color-zoned or highly lustrous crystals that collectors seek for display and study, while massive crystalline masses are valued for their density and brio in a cabinet. Collectors prize sphalerite for its range of hues, its brightness under incident light, and the insight it provides into ore-forming environments.
