Where is Quartz with Sulfide Mineral found?
SiO2 with sulfide inclusion
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Open the appQuartz with Sulfide Mineral occurs in specific geological environments. Knowing where to look, and in what kind of rock, is the difference between going home empty-handed and finding a great specimen.
Where to find Quartz with Sulfide Mineral
Butte, Montana, USA
Famous for its copper deposits, where quartz is intimately associated with chalcopyrite, pyrite, and other sulfides.
Coquimbo Region, Chile
Known for large porphyry copper deposits with quartz and chalcopyrite mineralization.
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
A world-class lead-zinc-silver deposit with quartz, galena, sphalerite, and other sulfides.
Creede, Colorado, USA
Epithermal silver-gold deposits with quartz, galena, sphalerite, and pyrite.
Various gold districts worldwide
Many gold deposits (e.g., Mother Lode, California; Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada; Witwatersrand, South Africa) feature quartz veins with associated pyrite, arsenopyrite, and other sulfides, often with microscopic gold.
Collecting tips
- Look for Veins and Alteration Zones. Sulfide-bearing quartz is commonly found in hydrothermal veins cutting through host rocks, or within altered zones around igneous intrusions.
- Identify Metallic Luster. The most obvious indicator of sulfide minerals within quartz is their characteristic metallic luster, contrasting with the vitreous luster of quartz.
- Check for Density. Sulfide minerals are generally denser than quartz. A specimen with significant sulfide inclusions will feel noticeably heavier than a pure quartz specimen of the same size.
- Observe Crystal Habits. Look for distinct crystal forms of sulfides (e.g., cubes of pyrite, dodecahedra of sphalerite) embedded within or growing on quartz.
- Consider Associated Minerals. Sulfide-bearing quartz often occurs with other ore minerals, gangue minerals (e.g., calcite, fluorite), and altered host rocks. Recognizing these associations can aid identification.
Quick Check
- Color:
- Variable quartz color (clear, white, smoky, etc.) with distinct metallic inclusions (brassy yellow, silvery gray, dark gray/black).
- Luster:
- Vitreous (quartz) and metallic (sulfides).
- Streak:
- Quartz: white. Sulfides: Pyrite (greenish-black), Chalcopyrite (greenish-black), Galena (gray-black), Sphalerite (brown to yellow-brown), Arsenopyrite (dark grayish-black).
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