Franklin Mine

Franklin, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA

Franklin Mine is one of the best known mines worldwide for fluorescent mineral specimens.

The mine itself was primarily worked for zinc but since then the interesting mineral specimens it produces have become world famous.

The mine is the source of nearly 250 species of minerals, and is the type locality for fifty – as well as being the only known source for quite a few of them.

‘Franklin Mine’ is quite a large site, including numerous sublocalities. The buckwheat pit and the mill site dump are well known amongst collectors.

I cannot overstate the importance of this locale for fluorescent collectors; a great number of the specimens from the site are extremely bright under various wavelengths.

The calcite and willemite from the site especially are stunning, but it would be difficult to pick only a few species from this locale.

 

Further reading