Editing Sphalerite (section)

=== Metal ore ===
Sphalerite is an important ore of zinc; around 95% of all primary zinc is extracted from sphalerite ore.<ref name=USGS>{{Cite web|title=Zinc Statistics and Information|url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/zinc-statistics-and-information|access-date=2021-02-25|website=www.usgs.gov}}</ref> However, due to its variable trace element content, sphalerite is also an important source of several other metals such as cadmium,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cadmium/|title=Cadmium – In: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries|publisher=United States Geological Survey|year=2017}}</ref> gallium,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frenzel|first1=Max|last2=Ketris|first2=Marina P.|last3=Seifert|first3=Thomas|last4=Gutzmer|first4=Jens|date=March 2016|title=On the current and future availability of gallium|journal=Resources Policy|volume=47|pages=38–50|doi=10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.11.005|bibcode=2016RePol..47...38F }}</ref> germanium,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frenzel|first1=Max|last2=Ketris|first2=Marina P.|last3=Gutzmer|first3=Jens|date=2014-04-01|title=On the geological availability of germanium|journal=Mineralium Deposita|language=en|volume=49|issue=4|pages=471–486|bibcode=2014MinDe..49..471F|doi=10.1007/s00126-013-0506-z|issn=0026-4598|s2cid=129902592}}</ref> and indium<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Frenzel|first1=Max|last2=Mikolajczak|first2=Claire|last3=Reuter|first3=Markus A.|last4=Gutzmer|first4=Jens|date=June 2017|title=Quantifying the relative availability of high-tech by-product metals – The cases of gallium, germanium and indium|journal=Resources Policy|volume=52|pages=327–335|doi=10.1016/j.resourpol.2017.04.008|bibcode=2017RePol..52..327F |doi-access=free}}</ref> which replace zinc. The ore was originally called ''blende'' by miners (from German ''blind'' or ''deceiving'') because it resembles galena but yields no lead.{{sfn|Klein|Hurlbut|1993|p=357}}