sphalerite

Name:

sphalerite (blende)

A photo of the mineral sphalerite

Class:

Sulfides

Chemistry:

ZnS Zinc Sulfide

Color(s):

yellow, yellow-brown, brown to black, seldom red or green

Hardness:

3.5 - 4.0

SpecGrav:

3.9 - 4.2

Fracture:

conchoidal

Cleavage:

complete

Crystal:

isometric (tetrahedral, dodecahedral) sometimes granular

Envronment:

mesothermal veins, limestones, hydrothermal deposits

Association:

quartz, galena, pyrrhotite, pyrite, marchasite, barite, fluorite, chalcopyrite

Locals:

| Poland | Idaho,New Jersey, Missouri, Ohio, USA | Mexico | Germany | USSR |

Misc:

The name is from the Greek word "sphaleros", meaning "treacherous" - probably because of similarity to several other minerals. Soluble in HNO3. It is the principal ore of zinc.

Photos
& Locals:

1.) Lime City, Ohio
2.) Lime City, Ohio
3.) Lime City, Ohio
4.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee
5.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee

6.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee
7.) Pachapaqui, Peru Quartz, Sphalerite, Calcite, Pyrite
8.) Tri-State Area, USA
9.) Tri-State Area, USA
10.) Tri-State Area, USA

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Name:	sphalerite (blende)
Class:	Sulfides
Chemistry:	ZnS Zinc Sulfide
Color(s):	yellow, yellow-brown, brown to black, seldom red or green
Hardness:	3.5 - 4.0	SpecGrav:	3.9 - 4.2
Fracture:	conchoidal	Cleavage:	complete
Crystal:	isometric (tetrahedral, dodecahedral) sometimes granular
Envronment:	mesothermal veins, limestones, hydrothermal deposits
Association:	quartz, galena, pyrrhotite, pyrite, marchasite, barite, fluorite, chalcopyrite
Locals:	\| Poland \| Idaho,New Jersey, Missouri, Ohio, USA \| Mexico \| Germany \| USSR \|
Misc:	The name is from the Greek word "sphaleros", meaning "treacherous" - probably because of similarity to several other minerals. Soluble in HNO3. It is the principal ore of zinc.

	Photos & Locals:
		1.) Lime City, Ohio 2.) Lime City, Ohio 3.) Lime City, Ohio 4.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee 5.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee		6.) Elmwood Mine, Smith Co., Tennessee 7.) Pachapaqui, Peru Quartz, Sphalerite, Calcite, Pyrite 8.) Tri-State Area, USA 9.) Tri-State Area, USA 10.) Tri-State Area, USA

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