Galena with Quartz

specimen number:
2341273

location:
Aouli, Mibladen, Ait Oufella Caidat, Midelt Cercle, Midelt, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
Lustrous cubic crystals of galena measuring to 1.7 cm on edge across a crystallized quartz matrix. The quartz crystals are colorless to slightly smoky, these are lustrous and mostly gemmy, measuring to 0.8 cm at their largest. This is in very good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jan Erik Larsen.

The Aouli and Mibladen mining district near Midelt, Morocco, situated within the Upper Moulouya valley between the High and Middle Atlas mountains, features a complex geological setting where basement older rocks and Mesozoic carbonate host strata are cut by hydrothermal vein systems. Historically developed during the 20th century as a major industrial center for extracting lead ore, galena, and associated metals, the region is globally renowned among mineral collectors for yielding exceptional secondary minerals and gangue associates. Within these hydrothermal veins and cavity fillings, fluorite occurs alongside barite and quartz as a notable accessory and gangue mineral, reflecting the deep-seated fluid circulation and subsequent oxidation processes that shaped this famous metallogenic province.

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