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Historic 7-Pound Magmatic-Hydrothermal Greisen Block: Coarse Wolframite Pocket, Massive Topaz, Pyrite & Zinnwaldite
Locality: Ozark Shaft, Historic Silver Mines District, Madison County, Missouri, USA
Provenance: Old-Stock Cox Family Collection (With Byrd Lineage)
The Ultimate Silver Mines Cabinet Masterpiece
Own a massive, museum-grade piece of Missouri mining history! Weighing in at an impressive 7 lbs and measuring roughly 5.125" x 6" x 4", this heavy, ultra-dense specimen represents the peak of Precambrian high-temperature magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization within the ancient St. Francois Mountains.
Pulled directly from the legendary Ozark Shaft, this is not your typical regional lead ore. This is an untouched, brutally heavy block of deeply altered greisen matrix loaded with a rare, complex cocktail of tungsten ores, pathfinder gems, and classic sulfides.
Geological & Visual Highlights:
Striated Wolframite Pocket: The definitive crown jewel of this specimen is a pristine, exposed micro-pocket showcasing a textbook cluster of bladed, iron-black Wolframite (Ferberite) plates. The crystal faces exhibit razor-sharp, parallel striations beautifully nested within a sugary mica matrix.
Massive Missouri Topaz: Interlocked tightly within the quartz are dense, creamy-white to pale yellowish blocky segments displaying the classic matte luster and structural habits unique to Silver Mines Topaz.
Sulfide Mineralization (Pyrite & Chalcopyrite): The matrix features bright, brassy-gold cubes of Pyrite intermixed with warmer, deep golden-yellow grains of Chalcopyrite, tracking the rich metallic vein systems that caused the brief 1870s Missouri "Silver Rush."
Zinnwaldite & Quartz Greisen: The back and core of the specimen are composed of highly altered, fine-grained quartz-mica greisen, featuring distinct silvery-gray to brownish-purple lithian mica nests (Zinnwaldite) born from superheated hydrothermal fluids.
Localized Fluorite: Tucked right along the fringes of the primary wolframite cavity are rich, micro-crystalline grains of deep purple fluorite.
Historical Provenance: The Cox Collection
This piece carries an un-reproducible pedigree, originating directly from the celebrated Cox Family Collection. Passed down through generations with ties to Guy Henry Cox (1881–1922) and Charles Albert Byrd (1875–1954), this material sat untouched, uncleaned, and preserved for decades. It retains its true, historic mine-run patina—serving as a physical certificate of authenticity for advanced mineral connoisseurs.
Whether you keep it as an imposing, whole centerpiece for a high-end cabinet display or use it as an incredible specimen for lapidary evaluation, this 7-lb powerhouse is an irreplaceable artifact of American mining lore.
Specifications:
Weight: 7 lbs (Dense, heavy ore-grade specimen)
Dimensions: Approximately 5.125" x 6" x 4"
Condition: Uncleaned, historic old-stock matrix with completely natural patina.
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