Pyromorphite from Les Farges which, although coming from a classic locality, has an unusual characteristic: its very deep green color has a slightly metallic appearance, very possibly due to a thin coating of Galena covering the Pyromorphite crystals.
The group, on matrix, has a markedly arborescent development, characteristic of a particular period of mining when specimens of this type appeared. Les Farges produced a great variety of habits and colors, but these arborescent specimens, with their very deep green color, are especially characteristic.
The mine exploited a lead-bearing vein mineralization, with Galena as the main primary mineral. Supergene alteration of the lead sulfides gave rise to an oxidation zone especially rich in secondary minerals, among which Pyromorphite stands out.
Les Farges Mine (Des Farges Mine), Ussel, Corrèze, Nouvelle-Aquitaine France
Specimen size: 7.6 × 6.3 × 5.7 cm = 2.99” × 2.48” × 2.24”
Main crystal size: 0.5 × 0.2 cm = 0.20” × 0.08”
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