The Skyttgruvan and the nearby Nävergruvan are located about 4 km west of Falun and show a similar ore body. Mining started already in 1563 and was resumed in 1887. In 1905, the mine produced 3700 tons of copper ore and 1480 tons of zinc ore.
A polished slab of ore (about 11 cm at the base). The dense texture and the mixing of the ore minerals can even be seen on the polished slab:
A 6400 dpi scan covering about 15 mm of the sample. The mixture of the minerals becomes even more visible:
Polished section with Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar. Po: pyrrhotite, Ccp: chalcopyrite, Sp: sphalerite, Gn: galena
Note the texture (Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar):
The entire sample consists of a mixture of galena, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite in sphalerite (Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar):
Crystals of the host rock (black), Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar:
Some undetermined white ore mineral (Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar):
Chalcopyrite with some pyrrhotite in the sphalerite matrix (Nic //, Obj. 20x, air, 100 µm scale bar):
Same with Nic +:
Mainly pyrrhoite in sphalerite. Note the texture in the lower right quarter. Gn: Galena:
Seven fotos mounted together (Nic //, Obj. 20x, air):
![[Group 1]-image_410_920_00009_image_410_920_00012-4 images10](files/005bgroup-1005d-image_410_920_00009_image_410_920_00012-4-images10.jpg)
For further informations on the region these articles might be interesting:
Letho, T. (1986): Report B86-23, Project: 3816, FALUN Annual report 1986. Swedish Geological Survey.
Geijer, Per: On the origin of the Falun type of sulfide mineralization. GFF.86.(1964).3-27