Sphalerite : CSIRO Spectroscopy Database

Sphalerite [ ZnS ]

Images of Sphalerite

Photograph of a specimen of sphalerite and barite from Hot Springs, North Carolina, USA. Size: 8.5cm

Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.

CL/SEM spectrum of Sphalerite

Shortwave UV photoluminescence image of a specimen of sphalerite (orange PL), willemite (green PL) and franklinite (dark) from Ogdensburg, New Jersey. Size: 10cm

Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.

SXES spectrum of Sphalerite

(C) 2016 CSIRO Mineral Resources

Shortwave UV photoluminescence image of a specimen of sphalerite (orange PL) in a barite matrix, from Hot Springs, North Carolina, USA. Size: 8.5cm

Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.

Sphalerite specimen from Rodna, Transilvania, Romania

Photo by Ken Larsen, via Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Image of a specimen of sphalerite, willemite and franklinite from Ogdensburg, New Jersey. Size: 10cm

Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.

Material properties

Formulas	(Zn,Fe^II)S, (Zn,Fe)S, ZnS
Abbreviation	Sp
Variants	Fe2+, Black Jack
Classifications	Sphalerite (group), Zinc sulphide
Member	Marmatite
Luminescence emitters	Ag, Band gap, Donor-acceptor pair, Mn, Unspecified
Spectra	Luminescence (2), SXES (1)
IMA Status	Approved (IMA 1980 s.p.)
Search other databases	webmineral.com, mindat.org, rruf.info, mineralienatlas.de, Handbook of Mineralogy, American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database
Related materials	Sphalerite, Black Jack, Wurtzite
Tags	Mineral, Sulphide, Sulphide

Composition

Element	Atoms
S	1
Zn	1
Total:	2

References for Sphalerite

CSIRO SXES database

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CSIRO CL spectra 2016

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Tarashchan 1978

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Specimens of Sphalerite

Name	Owner	Materials	Phase purity	Image	Spectra	Techniques
M2203 Sphalerite	CSIRO	Quartz, Sphalerite (98.5%)	98.5	M2203 Sphalerite Image of Sphalerite and Quartz in specimen 'M2203 Sphalerite' [CSIRO]. (C) 2026 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0398 Sphalerite / Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Siderite	CSIRO	Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite (48.6%), Tetrahedrite-(Cu)	48.6	M0398 Sphalerite / Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Siderite Image of Sphalerite, Quartz, Siderite and Tetrahedrite-(Cu) in specimen 'M0398 Sphalerite / Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Siderite' [CSIRO]. (C) 2026 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0134 Galena / Sphalerite	CSIRO	Galena, Sphalerite (42.6%)	42.6	M0134 Galena / Sphalerite Image of Galena and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0134 Galena / Sphalerite' [CSIRO]. (C) 2025 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0264 Rhodonite / Sphalerite / Galena	CSIRO	Calcite, Galena, Quartz, Rhodonite, Sphalerite (36.7%)	36.7	M0264 Rhodonite / Sphalerite / Galena Image of Rhodonite, Calcite, Galena, Quartz and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0264 Rhodonite / Sphalerite / Galena' [CSIRO]. (C) 2025 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0302 Ankerite / Dolomite / Sphalerite	CSIRO	Ankerite, Chalcopyrite, Dolomite, Galena, Quartz, Sphalerite (16.5%)	16.5	M0302 Ankerite / Dolomite / Sphalerite Image of Ankerite, Chalcopyrite, Dolomite, Galena, Quartz and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0302 Ankerite / Dolomite / Sphalerite' [CSIRO]. (C) 2025 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0233 Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Allargentum	CSIRO	Allargentum, Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite (6.0%), Tetrahedrite-(Cu)	6.0	M0233 Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Allargentum Image of Tetrahedrite-(Cu), Allargentum, Chalcopyrite, Galena and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0233 Tetrahedrite-(Cu) / Allargentum' [CSIRO]. (C) 2025 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0204 Quartz / Arsenopyrite	CSIRO	Arsenopyrite, Galena, Löllingite, Quartz, Sphalerite (5.8%)	5.8	M0204 Quartz / Arsenopyrite Image of Quartz, Arsenopyrite, Galena, Löllingite and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0204 Quartz / Arsenopyrite' [CSIRO]. (C) 2025 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M1836 Galena	CSIRO	Galena, Sphalerite, Fe2+ (2.9%)	2.9	M1836 Galena Image of Galena and Sphalerite (var. Fe2+) in specimen 'M1836 Galena' [CSIRO]. (C) 2026 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
M0852 Rhodochrosite / Quartz	CSIRO	Pyrite, Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Sphalerite (1.2%)	1.2	M0852 Rhodochrosite / Quartz Image of Rhodochrosite, Pyrite, Quartz and Sphalerite in specimen 'M0852 Rhodochrosite / Quartz' [CSIRO]. (C) 2026 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All rights reserved.	0	—
Sphalerite (#1, Ogdensburg, NJ)	Hamblen, Prof James O., Georgia Tech	Franklinite, Sphalerite, Willemite	—	Sphalerite (#1, Ogdensburg, NJ) Image of a specimen of sphalerite, willemite and franklinite from Ogdensburg, New Jersey. Size: 10cm Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.	0	—
Sphalerite (#2, Hot Springs, NC)	Hamblen, Prof James O., Georgia Tech	Baryte, Sphalerite	—	Sphalerite (#2, Hot Springs, NC) Photograph of a specimen of sphalerite and barite from Hot Springs, North Carolina, USA. Size: 8.5cm Photo (C) 2003 James O. Hamblen (http://hamblen.ece.gatech.edu/uvminerals/). Reproduced with permission.	0	—
ZnS Hyper2-7	CSIRO	Sphalerite, Zinc sulphide	—	ZnS Hyper2-7 BSE image of Sphalerite [ZnS] in 'ZnS Hyper2-7' standard (CSIRO). Instrument: JEOL JSM-IT800. (C) 2024 CSIRO Mineral Resources. All Rights reserved.	2	CL/SEM, SXES