Sphalerite

specimen number:
2341064

location:
Ait Ahmane, Zagora, Draa-Tafilalet, Morocco

description:
A grouping of very large somewhat crude, but still in perfect condition, yellowish green to brown slightly translucent lustrous twinned sphalerite crystals with little matrix. In great condition all around. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jan Erik Larsen and dates to 2018.

Ait Ahmane, situated in the eastern sector of the Bou Azzer-El Graara inlier within the Anti-Atlas belt of Morocco, is a renowned mining locality with operations dating back to the mid-20th century. Geologically, the area is characterized by a Neoproterozoic ophiolitic sequence where serpentinized ultramafic rocks and quartz diorites are heavily faulted and hydrothermally altered. Mineralogically, the district is famous for its complex vein systems that yield cobalt arsenides, native silver, and nickel minerals, alongside striking associated specimens of cobaltian calcite and various secondary phases that attract mineral collectors globally.

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