Galkhaite

specimen number:
2354128

location:
Getchell Mine, Humboldt Co., Nevada, USA

description:
Many deep red lustrous crystals of galkhaite averaging 0.2 cm in size scattered across the front of this matrix. Good example for this rare mineral from the type locality.

Located in the Potosi Mining District of Humboldt County, Nevada, the Getchell Mine is a world-class sediment-hosted gold deposit situated within a complex fault zone cutting Paleozoic limestone, shale, and argillite formations. Discovered in the 1930s, the open-pit and underground operations produced significant amounts of gold through roasting and oxide extraction, while hydrothermal fluid activity deposited an extraordinary array of rare arsenic, antimony, and mercury minerals. Among these scarce discoveries is galkhaite, a rare mercury thallium sulfosalt that forms striking dark red to orange-red cubic crystals within late-stage realgar and calcite veins. The deposit gained international renown among specimen collectors and mineralogists for its exceptionally sharp galkhaite crystals, though active mining and tight site security have long curtailed public collecting at this iconic locality.

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