Freibergite with Siderite, Quartz

specimen number:
2063844

location:
Kellogg, Shoshone Co., Idaho, USA

description:
A bright sharp metallic crystal of freibergite 0.5 cm across set along one edge of a crystallized quartz matrix with small siderite crystals. In good condition.

Kellogg, situated within Shoshone County in northern Idaho, serves as a central hub of the world-famous Coeur d'Alene Mining District, often referred to as the Silver Valley. The local geology features Precambrian metasedimentary rocks of the Belt Supergroup, which were heavily faulted and fractured to allow hydrothermal fluids to deposit exceptionally deep, high-grade vein systems. Mining operations took off in the mid-1880s following the discovery of the colossal Bunker Hill lode, expanding into vast underground complexes that yielded immense historical quantities of silver, lead, and zinc. Within these hydrothermal quartz-siderite veins, freibergite, a prominent silver-bearing sulfosalt mineral species belonging to the tetrahedrite series, formed as a primary source of the district's abundant silver wealth. Mineral collectors hold Kellogg specimens in high esteem for producing crisp, dark metallic freibergite crystals often set against contrasting siderite or quartz matrices, marking the locality as an iconic fixture in North American economic geology and mineral collecting.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.