Pyrite with Bornite, Quartz

specimen number:
2062873

location:
Steward Mine, Butte, Montana, USA

description:
The top of this crystallized quartz covered matrix is posting numerous crystals of bright golden lustrous octahedral pyrite to 1.5 cm in size. Coatings of iridescent crystalline bornite are scattered throughout. In good condition with minimal micro-damage present. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark.

The geology of the Steward Mine in Butte, Montana, is characterized by extensive hydrothermal veins hosted within the Late Cretaceous Butte Quartz Monzonite of the Boulder Batholith. These complex vein systems were rich in copper, silver, and gold mineralization, heavily shaped by later faulting and deep-seated mineral enrichment. Established in the late 19th century and later acquired by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, the mine developed into one of the district's deepest and most productive underground operations. It sustained intensive metal extraction for nearly a century before operations finally wound down in the 1970s and early 1980s, leaving behind an iconic headframe that remains a prominent symbol of the local mining heritage.

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