Vanadinite (ATES-26)

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Lustrous deep red tabular crystals of vanadinite to 1.0 cm in size covering the top of a thin matrix. In terrific condition. The Mibladen mining district, located near Midelt in the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas Mountains of central Morocco, was a prominent underground lead-extraction center worked through an extensive network of shafts, pits, and shallow adits. Geologically, the stratiform ore deposits are hosted within Lower Jurassic (Liassic) carbonate sequences, primarily dolomites and limestones, that overlie a rigid Paleozoic crystalline basement. Hydrothermal fluids circulating through these stratabound horizons precipitated low-temperature mineralization dominated by the primary lead sulfide galena, which underwent subsequent oxidation to form secondary minerals like cerussite and vanadinite within a widespread gangue of barite. Historically, initial geological assessments began in the early 1920s, with organized industrial extraction commencing around 1926 under French colonial management. The operations peaked during the 1950s when automated flotation infrastructure yielded thousands of tons of lead concentrates annually. Escalating operational costs, dwindling primary reserves, and corporate structural shifts following nationalization by the Moroccan government led to the permanent cessation of large-scale commercial mining in 1976.