Minerals from Bulgaria, including numerous mineralogical specimens from the Madan mine, Smolyan Province. Madan is in fact a large Pb-Zn(-Ag) mining district.

Known since ancient times, mined in the Middle Ages, and intensively exploited over the past 50 years, it has produced over 95 Mt of ore (∼2.5 Mt Pb, ∼2 Mt Zn; 2.54% Pb, 2.10% Zn) in more than 40 underground mines.

The main quartz-sulphide mineralization (associated with manganese skarns) was deposited at 350-280°C. The main ore minerals are sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and pyrite. Galena predominates in veins, sphalerite is more abundant in skarn bodies. Secondary and minor minerals include arsenopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, pyrrhotite, marcasite, cobaltite and the rare Ag, Bi sulfosalts.