Quartz with Chlorite, Galena, Chalcopyrite

specimen number:
2312410

location:
Mogilata deposit, Septemvri Mine, Madan, Smolyan, Bulgaria

description:

Glassy gemmy crystals of quartz measuring to 3.5 cm in height, these an attractive green color due to inclusions of chlorite, covering the top of matrix. Crystals of galena and chalcopyrite are scattered throughout. This large cabinet piece is in great condition and quite pretty.

The Mogilata deposit, accessed via the Septemvri Mine within the Madan ore field of the Smolyan province in southern Bulgaria, is situated in the central Rhodope Mountains. Its geology is defined by Paleogene hydrothermal vein and carbonate-replacement systems cutting through a metamorphic basement of Precambrian to Paleozoic gneisses, schists, and marbles. Mineralization formed from meteoric-hydrothermal fluids driven by Oligocene magmatic activity, producing significant deposits of lead and zinc. Mining in the broader Madan region dates back to ancient times, with organized extraction expanding significantly during the mid-twentieth century. The deposit is well known among mineral collectors for yielding crystal specimens of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, quartz, and carbonate gangue minerals.

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