Marcasite from Blackstone Mine, Wisconsin, USA - image 1
Marcasite from Blackstone Mine, Wisconsin, USA - image 2
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Marcasite from Blackstone Mine, Wisconsin, USA

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Classic specimen from Wisconsin with bright lustrous rounded golden crystal groupings of marcasite measuring to 2.5 cm in diameter standing up from a matrix that is mostly covered with small black crystallized sphalerite. In very good condition.The Blackstone Mine, located near Shullsburg in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, sits within the historic Upper Mississippi Valley Zinc-Lead District, a famous Mississippi Valley-Type mineralized region. Formed during the Paleozoic era, low-temperature hydro-thermal fluids migrated through fractured Ordovician limestone and dolomite host rocks, depositing rich primary sulfide mineralization along pitch and flat structural fractures. First developed as an underground operation during the early twentieth century by companies like Vinegar Hill Zinc Company and later expanded mid-century by Eagle-Picher, the mine served as a major commercial producer of zinc and lead ore until operations permanently ceased in 1979. Mineral collectors hold specimens from the Blackstone Mine in high regard for their iconic regional mineral assemblage, which features lustrous brown to reddish-brown sphalerite, sharp brassy pyrite and marcasite, galena, and well-formed calcite scalenohedrons set on dense, grey-brown dolomite matrix.

Product details

SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions7.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 cm
Added on11/05/2026

Current owner

Unknown Owner
Acquired
Nov 2026
Price paid
$300.00

Previous owners

DateCollectorAcquisition price
—Weinrich MineralsNot disclosed

Learn more

Marcasite
Mineral guide
Learn about Marcasite
orthorhombic dimorph of pyrite with cockscomb blade clusters, metallic luster and iridescent tarnish; prized for sculptural form yet requires caref…
Marcasite
Regional guide
Marcasite from Blackstone Mine
Contribute
Locality guide
Blackstone Mine
A collector's guide to Blackstone Mine, USA: its geology, mining history and notable minerals, illustrated with the 21 specimens documented from this locality on EarthWonders.