The area around Dodgeville in old mines and quarries is the best spot to look, but there’s galena spread throughout most parts of the state in smaller amounts. It’s still worth looking for a sample, especially with the plethora of minerals in the same regions. It’s often a dusty grey instead of shiny, and galena isn’t a mineral you want to be sanding on to achieve a better gloss. The galena from Wisconsin is typical of the material, and it’s a common find in the southwest portion of the state. It’s also the state mineral of Wisconsin, owing to past importance to their economy. Galena takes the form of cubic or octahedral crystals, usually opaque and glossy black. This lends a lot more economic importance to the mineral than you’d suspect. Some galena is argentiferous, meaning that it bears silver locked in its structure. Galena is safe to handle, but you should wash your hands afterward and wear a mask if you do any work that will put galena dust in the air. It’s the primary ore of lead, which has a variety of different applications despite its inherent toxicity. Galena is another of the minerals associated with ancient hydrothermal activity. The best samples seem to come from the area around Dodgeville in older quarries and mines. However, it’s easy enough to find, especially in the southwestern portion of the state. These clusters can look great, but they aren’t among the better samples of the mineral available. The sphalerite in Wisconsin tends to occur distributed through other rocks or as small clusters of black crystals. Its main use is still as a primary ore for zinc. These are sometimes cut as curiosity gemstones for collectors but the material is too soft for any real application in jewelry. More pure versions of the mineral will be a red, transparent crystal. The sulfides tend to stick together, which is good news for collectors.Ĭommonly, sphalerite which appears by itself will be in the form of glossy black cubic crystals. ![]() ![]() It’s a common find in areas that previously had hydrothermal vents in the past, and it’s a good indication that other related minerals are nearby. Sphalerite is the primary ore of zinc, taking the form of cubic crystals of zinc sulfide.
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