Enargite from Butte Mining District, Montana, USA - image 1

Enargite from Butte Mining District, Montana, USA

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Butte in Silver Bow County, Montana, USA is one of the world's most important places for Enargite (copper arsenic sulphide) crystals, but most specimens were mined a generation ago. This quite distinctive specimen from David Hardman's fine North American suite (no. 810) is almost certainly one from the 1960s or 1970s and presents a rather different association and crystal form than normally seen in this famous mining district. Firstly, the main body of the specimen is a finely crystallized aggregate of beige-coloured Siderite encapsulating Quartz underneath. Then, on the main display side of the specimen many extremely reflective, to almost mirror-bright, dark grey, to black blocky Enargite crystals with sharp, well-defined edges are seen, with lesser blue-grey Galena crystals inbetween. The Enargite crystals are not the typical prism, but more complex, with stepping on some of the faces, and possibly represent twinned crystals. There is minor cracking to some of these glossy crystals, but they are really unusual. At large miniature size this is a really fine Butte Enargite.

Product details

SizeSmall Cabinet
Dimensions6.7 x 4.8 x 2.6 cm
Added on11/12/2025
Current owner
Unknown Owner
Acquired
Mar 2026
Price paid
$150.00
Previous owners
DateCollectorAcquisition price
—Crystal ClassicsNot disclosed

Learn more

Enargite
Mineral guide
Learn about Enargite
sharp metallic prisms, gunmetal color with iridescent tarnish; rare top specimens on quartz or pyrite from classic mines like Butte, Bingham.
Enargite
Regional guide
Enargite from Butte Mining District, Montana, USA
steel-gray to iron-black prisms from the Butte Mining District; prized for sharp orthorhombic form, mirror terminations, and iconic orebody context.
Locality guide
Butte Mining District
Butte Mining District, USA - famed copper-molybdenum vein system yielding museum-grade ore specimens, enargite prisms, covellite plates, and rich collector app…