Pyromorphite

Unknown Owner

Nice example from this old locality, lustrous green crystals of pyromorphite to 0.5 cm in size throughout matrix. Some damage present, still in good condition. This would have likely been collected in the 1960s.The Sherman Mine, located in the Burke area of the Coeur d'Alene District in Shoshone County, Idaho, is a notable locality within one of the most productive silver-lead-zinc regions in the United States. Geologically, the deposit consists of steep, narrow fissure veins hosted within the Precambrian Belt Supergroup quartzites, where mineralizing fluids deposited primary sulfides that later underwent oxidation near the surface. This oxidation process produced specimens of pyromorphite, which at this specific mine are characterized by their consistent green color and hexagonal prismatic habits. Historically, the Sherman Mine was developed in the early 20th century, with organized underground mining and quarrying activities beginning around 1927 under the Day Mines conglomerate. The operation maintained a consistent production period from the late 1920s until the early 1980s. While industrial mining for silver and lead concluded by 1982, the site remains a recognized name among regional collectors for its distinct green pyromorphite specimens found within the Pacific Northwest.