History · Geology
About Ying Silver Mine
The Ying (Yingjiao) silver mine district in western Henan is one of China’s largest modern silver producers, hosting world-class Ag-Pb-Zn vein-style mineralization in the Xiong’er Mountains.
Geology
Mineralization is structurally controlled vein-type, with Ag-Pb-Zn sulfides and sulfosalts in low-sulfidation epithermal quartz-carbonate veins cutting Mesoproterozoic volcanic rocks of the Xiong’er Group. Modern reserves exceed 13,000 tons of silver.
Notable Minerals
Argentiferous galena, sphalerite, native silver wires, acanthite, tetrahedrite (Ag-rich freibergite variety), pyrargyrite, polybasite. Calcite and quartz are the dominant gangue.
Collector Notes
Ying mine native-silver-on-acanthite specimens emerged on the Chinese collector market post-2015 and are now coveted in silver-mineral collections, complementing Mexican Guanajuato and Norwegian Kongsberg pieces.
Minerals Produced Here
- Acanthite (辉银矿)
- Agate (玛瑙)
- Amethyst (紫水晶)
- Calcite (方解石)
- Chalcedony (玉髓)
- Citrine (黄水晶)
- Galena (方铅矿)
- Jasper (碧玉)
- Pyrargyrite (深红银矿)
- Quartz (石英 / 水晶)
- Rose Quartz (玫瑰石英)
- Silver (Native) (自然银)
- Sphalerite (闪锌矿)
- Tetrahedrite (黝铜矿)
