Penfieldite

specimen number:
2354236

location:
Margarita Mine, Caracoles, Sierra Gorda, Antofagasta, Chile

description:
Light bluish to colorless masses of penfieldite on matrix. Galena is present as well. A good reference example for the species.

Located in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert of northern Chile, the Caracoles mining district is famous for its complex hydrothermal vein deposits hosted within Mesozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Margarita Mine historically gained renown during the late 19th-century silver boom as a key producer of rare and unusual halide minerals formed through the oxidation of primary sulfide ores by saline groundwater interacting with desert surfaces. Mineralogists and collectors prize the locality for its exceptional specimens of penfieldite, a scarce lead oxychloride mineral that typically forms distinct prismatic crystals lining cavities within these ancient, highly weathered ore veins.

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