New Mexico Mineral Symposium, 2001

Abstracts

New Mexico Mineral Symposium

The Twenty-Second Annual New Mexico Min- eral Symposium was held November 10 and 11, 2001, at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro. Following are abstracts from all talks given at the symposium.

MINERALS OF THE MACY MINE AND OTHER SELECTED MINES NEAR HILLS- BORO, NEW MEXICO, by Ramon S. DeMark, 8240 Eddy Avenue, N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87109 (Location 1 on index map) Hillsboro and the Las Animas mining district in Sierra County, New Mexico, evoke images of a sleepy town with a history of gold mining. Before the turn of the twentieth century, however, prospectors also turned an eye to the southern part of the district along Ready Pay Gulch and Percha Creek. It was called the “lead-carbonate belt” in early reports.1 Prospectors located deposits of vanadium, manganese, and secondary lead minerals and filed numerous claims in the area. Sierra County residents were so proud of the mines and minerals of Hillsboro and surround- ing mining districts that they sent 12 tons of ore specimens to the 1893 World’s Columbian Expo- sition in Chicago!2 The minerals were used to cover a miner’s cabin that was constructed in the Mines and Mining Building. Specimens from the Percha, Big Chief, and other mines in the area were used in the exhibit.3 In recent years, mineral collectors have focused on a mine generally known as the Macy mine on the south side of Percha Creek near the spot where Ready Pay Gulch enters the Percha. Although known as the Macy mine, a search of Index map showing the locations referred to in the abstracts. Sierra County mining claim records reveals that the mine was first located on June 14, 1892, by George E. Robin, Steve J. Macy, and Ed Strick- al was provided by W. M. Foote of Philadelphia A search of Sierra County claim records (from land and was named the Percha mine.4 This and J. H. Porter of Denver. They obtained the 1884 up to the present, in the area of the Percha mine was never named the Macy mine but material from George E. Robin (one of the first Creek box, north up Ready Pay Gulch to the should probably best be called Macy’s mine in claim owners of the Percha [Macy’s] mine and intersection with New Mexico 152) reveals recognition of long-standing usage and the fact several other mines in the area). The material intense claim activity starting in 1892 (Percha, that Steven Macy was one of the original claim was described as coming from the Rex and Big Chief, Whaleback, Flora Temple, Animas, owners. This misnomer most likely resulted Smuggler mines at Hillsboro. George Robin was Sarnia, and others). Many of these claims were from Fayette Jones’ reference to the area in 1904 claim owner of the Rex mine along with Steven filed again in the early 1900s by William F. Hall as follows: “It is said that this is the largest body Macy and two others. The mine was located on under such names as the Endlichite, Melan- of vanadium ore known in the world. The prop- March 10, 1892.9 The Smuggler mine was not otickite [sic], Pyromorphite, and Wulfenite. erty is known as the S. J. Macy lode.”5 Minerals under claim by Robin or Macy and was outside Much later, the original Percha (Macy’s mine) identified from this mine include vanadinite, the “lead-carbonate belt.” The precise location claim was filed again as the Barking Frog by endlichite, mimetite, wulfenite, descloizite, gale- of the Rex mine remains unclear, and melan- Dick Jones and others in 198013 and as the Bobbi na, cerussite, fluorite, and heulandite. otekite has not been recovered from the Hills- Dee in 1983.14 The latest attempt at filing on this In May 1981, lustrous, small-black crystals boro area for over 100 yrs. site by Mike Sanders and Tom Massis in 1996 were found by the author on the dumps of what, The Petroglyph mine (west of Ready Pay resulted in a rejection by the Bureau of Land at that time, was an unknown mine on the north Gulch and just south of New Mexico 152) was Management with the stated reason that the bank of Percha Creek across from Macy’s mine. located as the Miners Dream mine in May 191610 mineral rights were not federal leasable nor sub- In September 1981, Paul Hlava6 confirmed by and relocated as the Petroglyph mine on Sep- ject to claim.15 microprobe analysis that these crystals were tember 3, 1962.11 Specimens of wulfenite, vana- Around 1897, William F. Hall of Hillsboro kentrolite, the lead manganese silicate that dinite, descloizite, willemite, and hemimorphite shipped 1,250 lb of vanadium minerals to the A. forms a series with melanotekite, the lead iron have been recovered from this mine. Heulandite E. Foote Mineral Company of Philadelphia. silicate. A search of the Sierra County claim and possibly mordenite have been found at a These specimens were distributed as rare miner- records determined that this mine was original- small mine just south of Ready Pay Gulch about al specimens to various public and private col- ly located as the Big Chief mine and was filed on 0.5 mi south of New Mexico 152. It has been lectors throughout Europe and America.16 October 25, 1892.7 Vanadinite, which is present called the Rex mine, but this identification Where are these specimens today? George in association with kentrolite and wulfenite, has remains uncertain. Cryptomelane has been Robin, in his letter of February 24, 1893, states been reported but not confirmed. identified12 by microprobe analysis from the Tro- that “we are now collecting and will have with- Melanotekite from New Mexico was first jan mine on the east side of Ready Pay Gulch in 30 days from 1,800 to 2,000 lb of choice min- described by C. H. Warren in 1898.8 The materi- about 0.5 mi north of Macy’s mine. eral specimens to fill the eight show cases” (at

February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY 29 the 1893 Columbian Exposition).17 No trace of vated by movement along two north-trending known temperature gradient (the natural these specimens exists today. Let us hope our faults. The easternmost fault (Montoya fault) is increase in temperature with depth) for the generation of mineral collectors will better doc- more mineralized, and several springs issue Pikes Peak Granite, which is approximately 25° ument the provenance of our treasured mineral along it. There probably were several periods of C/km, and by subtracting the average ambient specimens and preserve them for future genera- movement along these faults. temperature of 3.4° C at the Lake George U.S. tions to enjoy. Fluorspar occurrences in the Chise district Weather Station (Normals and extremes, 2001), Endnotes include jasperoid veins and mantos in Pennsyl- one finds that a temperature of 36.6° C divided vanian limestones, open-space filling in brec- by the 25° C/km temperature gradient yields a 1. Sierra County Advocate, May 5, 1893, (ZIM ciated zones along faults and near intrusive con- crystallization depth minimum of 1.4 km. Mfilm AN2 552 January 6, 1893–December 16, tacts, and replacement mantos in Permian rocks. The Pikes Peak pluton was emplaced at a 1898) Mines, Mills, & Smelter Column, UNM It is postulated that the basement rocks along depth of approximately 4–5 km, 1.06–1.09 b.y. Zimmerman Library. the eastern margin of the Cordillera have a high before present (Unruh et al., 1995). It is also gen- 2. Letter dated February 24, 1893 from Geo. E. fluorine content and that Tertiary vulcanism ini- erally accepted that the Laramide orogeny (pres- Robin to W. H. H. Llewellyn, Esq. 1893 tiated hydrothermal fluids, which rose along ent Rocky Mountain uplift) began about 60–70 World’s Columbian Exposition file. Archives Basin and Range fractures parallel to the Rio m.y. ago and continued rather slowly until & Historical Services Division, State of New Grande rift system. The Chise district is believed about 10 m.y. ago, when rapid uplift began. I Mexico. to be such an occurrence. reached the conclusion that the pegmatites 3. Sierra County Advocate, June 30, 1893 (ZIM Prospecting guides in the area include the yielding the onegite could not have reached a Mfilm AN2 552 January 6, 1893–December 16, presence of jasperoid, fluorite casts, caliche hori- depth of 1.4 km until sometime during the last 1898) Mines, Mills, & Smelter Column, UNM zons, and certain shale marker beds. 10 m.y. Zimmerman Library. Knowing that there were two other ancestral 4. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, Rocky Mountains, one may rightly question book D, p. 795. QUARTZ WITH GOETHITE INCLUSIONS why formation of the onegite could not have 5. F. A. Jones (1904) New Mexico mines and min- (ONEGITE) FROM THE PIKES PEAK occurred earlier. I further postulate that during erals (World’s Fair edition, 1904), p. 83. GRANITE, by Ray Berry, 7513 Tudor Road, those periods, which were at times of a more 6. Pers. comm., Paul Hlava, September 1981. Colorado Springs, CO 80919, rayber@peo- tropical climate (dinosaurs, etc.), ambient tem- 7. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, plepc.com peratures were probably higher than 40° C. book E, p. 103. (Location 3 on index map) Photos from this presentation show that there 8. C. H. Warren (1898) Mineralogical notes: 1— Edward S. Dana (1892) first described onegite were several variations in deposition, particu- On the occurrence of melanotekite at Hills- thus: “onegite is acicular goethite penetrating larly of goethite growth under and on top of the boro, New Mexico and on the chemical com- quartz, like rutile, from an island in Lake Onega, onegite, proving that goethite can also crystal- position of melanotekite and kentrolite, Russia.” The term “onegite” has fallen into dis- lize at very low temperatures and pressures. American Journal of Science (4) v. 6., p. 116. use because it is not a mineral name but is Also, after the publication of the Rocks & Min- 9. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, descriptive of an inclusion of one mineral with- erals article (Berry, 2001), I corresponded with a book F, p. 537. in another. collector in Montana who has found quartz with 10. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, The term “onegite” is still used by many col- goethite inclusions (some amethyst) in the Mon- book K, p. 681. lectors in Colorado, probably because it is easier tana batholith in at least two different locations 11. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, to say “onegite” than “quartz with goethite (Van Laer, pers. comm. 2001). Photos of the book 29, p. 27. inclusions.” This combination of minerals has material show that it is similar to the Pikes Peak 12. Pers. comm., Paul Hlava, September 2001. been found in the Pikes Peak Granite pegmatites material, with the possible exception of euhe- 13. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, since the late 1800s, but little has been written dral growths of goethite. The onegite in Mon- book 54, p. 794. about it, and few specimens are found in muse- tana appears to have been deposited directly on 14. Sierra County Courthouse, claim records, ums or other major collections. Over the past 30 the quartz. I have found the underlying goethite book 66, p. 387. yrs, I have found many pockets containing one- depositions are often missing when euhedral 15. Pers. comm., Mike Sanders, September 2001. gite, including particularly fine material on the amethyst crystals with goethite inclusions are 16. Brigham Leatherbee (1910) Sierra County, Second Mesabi Claim, located in the southern found, and when goethite sub-strata is present, New Mexico, vanadium deposits, Min. edge of the Lake George intrusive center near the onegite is very heavily included making it World, v. 33, p. 799. Lake George, Colorado. opaque. 17. Letter dated February 24, 1893 from Geo. E. Peter Modreski (1996) of the U.S. Geological Little other modern scientific investigation of Robin to W. H. H. Llewellyn, Esq. 1893 Survey in Denver gave a presentation at the the paragenesis of the miarolitic cavities in the World’s Columbian Exposition file. Archives Seventeenth New Mexico Mineral Symposium, Pikes Peak Granite has been done. It would be & Historical Services Division, State of New titled Onegite (amethyst with goethite inclu- of great interest to expand this investigation to Mexico. sions) from the Pikes Peak batholith, Colorado. other pockets within the batholith, extending His presentation covered what was then known the testing to other species. I extend an offer to about the material, including his own estima- take a professional mineralogist to a variety of OCTAHEDRAL FLUORITE FROM THE tion of the paragenetic sequence and tempera- pockets I have collected, securing from the CHISE FLUORITE DEPOSIT, SIERRA tures of crystallization. My presentation will dumps: quartz and microcline; from the walls: COUNTY, NEW MEXICO, by Ed Huskinson, review Modreski’s description and photos of fluorite, amazonite, and smoky quartz; and Laudra Minerals, 4804 Steinke Drive, King- onegite, and then present new findings from other minerals that might be present. This inves- man, AZ 86401 fluid-inclusion testing on the minerals. tigation should be able to show if the occur- (Location 2 on index map) In conjunction with the recent publication of a rences noted in this paper are different from Fluorspar deposits occur on and near Cross description of the occurrence of onegite (Berry, those in other areas or those lacking onegite. It Mountain, near Chise, Sierra County, New Mex- 2001), I had fluid-inclusion testing done by Vir- would even be valuable to know if there is a dif- ico. The Chise fluorspar district lies within an gil Lueth at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology ference in crystallization temperature from the inlier of upper Paleozoic rocks nearly surround- and Mineral Resources in Socorro. base of a quartz crystal to the termination. ed by Tertiary extrusive rocks, composed prima- The fluid inclusions showed that the primary References rily of flows and tuffs. quartz formed at a temperature of 360° C, indi- The bulk of the sedimentary rocks exposed in cating that this pocket, at least, formed after the Berry, R. R., 2001, Goethite inclusions in quartz the area are Pennsylvanian limestones of the granite magma had cooled and crystallized— from the Pikes Peak Granite: Rocks & Minerals, Magdalena Group and Permian sandstones, not as part of the magma, but as truly v. 76, no. 4, pp. 228–232. Dana, E. S., 1892, The system of mineralogy of limestones, and shales of the Abo and Yeso For- hydrothermal in nature (crystallizing from James Dwight Dana, 1837–1868: John Wiley & mations. Pliocene and Pleistocene fluviatile water carrying elements through cracks and Sons, New York, 6th ed. deposits have also been mapped in the area. crevices in the now cooled granite.) Modreski, P. J., 1996, Onegite (amethyst with Igneous rocks include Tertiary intrusive diabase, The fluid inclusions in the quartz with goethite inclusions) from the Pikes Peak monzonite, and syenite, as well as late Tertiary goethite inclusions had temperatures much batholith, Colorado; in Seventeenth annual New andesites, flows, and tuffs. lower than expected. They were found to be a Mexico Mineral Symposium abstracts, Novem- Cross Mountain is a horst, which has been ele- single-phase growth of 40° C or less. Using the ber 9–10, 1996, Socorro, New Mexico: New Mex-

30 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1 ico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources. reported to be older, of latest Proterozoic age barite, biotite, calcite, chlorite, chromite, diop- “Normals & extremes, Sept. 1960–Dec. 1997, for (~600 Ma). side, dolomite, enstatite, graphite, hematite, Lake George,” in Climatology of Colorado [data- A related rock type, lamproite, occurs in the ilmenite, iron, lizardite, magnetite, nickel, base online] (National Weather Service, Pueblo, Leucite Hills of southwest Wyoming. Lam- omphacite, perovskite, pyrite, rutile, sanidine, Colorado) [cited September 19, 2001] available proites host diamond deposits elsewhere in the spinel, talc, xenotime, and zircon. Many of these from www.crh.noaa.gov/pub world, including Western Australia and Prairie minerals, as well as coesite, corundum, Unruh, D. W., Snee, L. W., Foord, E. E., and Sim- Creek (Crater of Diamonds), Arkansas. The pyrrhotite, pentlandite, periclase, acmite, rich- mons, W. B., 1995, Age and cooling history of the igneous rocks of the Leucite Hills are not dia- terite, hornblende, titanite, and wollastonite, Pikes Peak batholith and associated pegmatites mond bearing, but a few diamonds have been have been reported as inclusions in diamonds (abs.): Geological Society of America, Abstracts reported from not far to the southwest at Cedar from the district. with Programs, v. 27, no. 6, p. A468. Mountain and vicinity in the Green River basin, Wyoming. Igneous rocks with some affinities to References kimberlite and lamproite are also known from Anonymous, 1999, Diamonds in Colorado: Col- DIAMONDS IN THE COLLECTIONS OF several other localities in Colorado, Utah, Ari- orado Geological Survey, Rocktalk, v. 2, no. 3, THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE zona, New Mexico, and adjacent states, but none pp. 5–8, 12. AND SCIENCE, by James F. Hurlbut and Jack are known to be diamond bearing. Cappa, J. A., 1998, Alkalic igneous rocks of Col- Thompson, Denver Museum of Nature and Sci- The Sloan kimberlite in Colorado was mined orado and their associated ore deposits: Col- ence, 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO on a trial basis in 1994, and some 9,034 dia- orado Geological Survey, Resource Series 35, 80205-5798 monds weighing a total of 342 carats were 138 pp. (Location 4 on index map) recovered from 3,300 tons of rock excavated Collins, D. S., 1982, Diamond collecting in north- from a 614-ft adit. The largest diamond recov- ern Colorado: Mineralogical Record, v. 13, no. The first diamond donated to the museum was ered from the Sloan kimberlite was 5.14 carats 4, pp. 205–208. in 1922. It was a 1.5-carat stone from Brazil. and was of partial gem quality. A full-scale open Collins, D. S., and Heyl, A. V., 1984, History of Since then, the collection has grown to over pit diamond mine was operated from 1996–1998 the Colorado–Wyoming state line diatremes: 7,000 stones; of those, 6,500 are natural, ranging at the Kelsey Lake kimberlite group, on the Col- Rocks and Minerals, v. 59, no. 1, pp. 35–37. in size from 2 to 3 mm. The Paul Seel micro- orado–Wyoming border. During this mining, Collins, D. S., and Modreski, P. J., 1987, Chrome mount collection consists of 3,000 mounted two large diamonds were found, and by coinci- pyrope from the Sloan diatreme, Colorado, micromounts and 3,500 unmounted stones. dence both were 28.18 and 28.3 carats, yellow, showing color change with thickness and The collection also contains 150 diamonds and cut into 16.8 and 5.39 carat faceted stones. type of illumination (abs.): Geological Society from the kimberlites of northern Colorado and The 16.8-carat stone is currently the largest of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, southern Wyoming donated by exploration faceted diamond in existence from North Amer- no. 5, p. 267. mining companies. The Geology Department ica. Other diamonds found at Kelsey Lake have Eckel, E. B., 1997, Minerals of Colorado, updat- has also used funds donated by Paul Seel to pur- included stones of 16.9, 14.2 (a colorless, gem- ed and revised edition by Cobban, R. R., and chase several larger crystals and cut stones from quality octahedron), 11.85, 10.48, 9.4, and 6.2 others: Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, CO, 665 Colorado deposits. The most recent addition carats, and many of 1 carat or more in weight. pp. was a donation of two, small, natural diamonds Mining has been inactive at Kelsey Lake for the Hausel, W. D., 1998, Diamonds and mantle from the current northern Canadian explo- last several years but is expected to resume. source rocks in the Wyoming craton with a rations. In addition to diamond itself, classic kimber- discussion of other U.S. occurrences: The extent and variety of these collections will lite “indicator minerals” are found at all pipes in Wyoming State Geological Survey, Report of be illustrated. Paul Seel studied the nature of the State Line district: emerald-green chromian Investigations 53, 93 pp. diamond crystals and their growth using his diopside (“chrome diopside”), pyrope garnet Hausel, W. D., McCallum, M. E., and Roberts, J. micromounts. The collection contains crystals (typically red but ranging in color from orange T., 1985, The geology, diamond testing proce- from all diamond producing areas before 1970. to purple), and metallic-black magnesian dures, and economic potential of the Col- He also made drawings of some of the unique ilmenite. Since these minerals (along with dia- orado–Wyoming kimberlite province—a features of diamond growth. mond) were plucked out of the mantle host review: Geological Survey of Wyoming, rocks from which the kimberlites were derived, Report of Investigations 31, 22 pp. and did not crystallize from the kimberlite Hausel, W. D., and Sutherland, W. M., 2000, MINERALOGY OF THE STATE LINE KIM- magma itself, the crystals are termed Gemstones and other unique minerals and BERLITE DISTRICT, COLORADO AND “megacrysts” (large crystals) or “xenocrysts” rocks of Wyoming: Wyoming Geological Sur- WYOMING, by Peter J. Modreski, U.S. Geolog- (foreign crystals); most have been rounded by vey, Bulletin 71, 268 pp. ical Survey, MS 915, Box 25046, Federal Center, abrasion or solution in the kimberlite pipes. A McCallum, M. E., and Eggler, D. H., 1971, Min- Denver, CO 80225 pyrope megacryst exceeding 2 lb in weight has eralogy of the Sloan diatreme, a kimberlite (Location 5 on index map) been reported from the Schaffer kimberlite, Col- pipe in northern Larimer County, Colorado: Kimberlite, the igneous rock from Earth’s man- orado, but most of the indicator minerals range American Mineralogist, v. 56, pp. 1735–1749. tle that hosts most diamond deposits world- from a few millimeters to a few centimeters in McCallum, M. E., and Mabarak, C. D., 1976, Dia- wide, was recognized in 1964 to be present in size. Some pyrope from the Sloan kimberlite mond in State-Line kimberlite diatremes, northern Colorado and adjacent Wyoming. Dia- exhibits an alexandrite-like color change from Albany County, Wyoming, Larimer County, monds were first reported from one of the pipes red to green, but only when observed in small Colorado: Geological Survey of Wyoming, in 1975, and diamonds are now known to occur thin fragments. Chrome diopside megacrysts as Report of Investigation 12, 36 pp. in most of the ~35 kimberlite pipes and dikes in large as 9 cm have been observed in the Sloan Meyer, H. O. A., and McCallum, M. E., 1986, the State Line district of Larimer County, Col- kimberlite. Flakes of brown phlogopite (magne- Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the orado, and Albany County, Wyoming. Addition- sium-rich mica) are common. Sloan kimberlites, Colorado: Journal of Geol- al kimberlites, which however are not known to Xenoliths (“foreign rocks”) found in the kim- ogy, v. 94, pp. 600–612. be diamond-bearing, occur to the north in the berlites, typically as rounded nodules from sev- Murphy, J. A., 2000, Colorado diamonds, an Laramie Mountains of Wyoming (Iron Moun- eral centimeters to a foot or more in size, include update: Rocks and Minerals, v. 75, no. 5, pp. tain and other areas), and to the south near Estes rocks from the mantle (garnet, peridotite, and 350–353. Park, Rocky Mountain National Park (Isolation eclogite) and the crust (granite, gneiss, schist, Peak and Hayden Gorge kimberlites), and Boul- granulite, limestone, and sandstone). Olivine is der, Colorado (Green Mountain kimberlite a common mineral in the State Line kimberlites, THIRTY YEARS OF MINERAL COLLECT- pipe). The State Line kimberlites include pipes but most grains are rounded and have been ING IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, (circular, elliptical, or elongate intrusions), altered to serpentine minerals. A wide variety of SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO, 1970– dikes, and diatremes (pipes which have a very other minerals have been reported from the 2000, by Tom Rosemeyer, P.O. Box 586, Ouray, fragmental texture, indicating eruption as a kimberlites, including megacrysts of other CO 81427, [email protected] “blowout” to the surface). The State Line kim- pyroxene group minerals, and various layer sil- (Location 6 on index map) berlites intrude 1.4 and 1.7 Ma Proterozoic gran- icates, carbonates, and oxides as constituents of Now that mining has virtually ended in the San ite, and most have been found to be of Early the groundmass of the kimberlites. Reported Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, it is Devonian age, about 390 Ma, but some are minerals include: antigorite, apatite, aragonite, a good time to look back over the last 30 yrs of

February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY 31 mining and mineral collecting. I came to the area tile Apaches to make the initial discovery, the nized early in the Tombstone district. Stopes in in August 1970, after serving in the U.S. Army Earp brothers and the “Shoot out at the OK Cor- the highest-grade zones have literally been for 2 yrs. At that time, mining was booming in ral,” and enough wealth pouring out of the scraped to the limestone walls by armies of min- the San Juans, with almost 800 people employed mines to support a non-stop 24/7 poker ers working with single jacks and hand chisels. in the mining industry. Jobs were not hard to game…with a $1,000 buy-in for 5 yrs! Of course Emmonsite, recognized as unusual, described as find, and I landed a position as mine engineer at the prospector sold out cheap and died penni- a new species in 1885, is the oldest type species the Camp Bird mine located 6 mi southwest of less, the Earp brothers’ reputation has tarnished from the Tombstone district, and probably came Ouray. with time, and the fabulous ores played out long from a high-graded underground ore sample. Mining of the lead-copper-zinc replacement ago. Today, the Tombstone district is a world- The remainders of the species are micro-miner- orebody at the base of the Telluride Conglomer- renowned tourist trap, and the mines are large- als described in the late 1970s and early 1980s by ate had just started, and I was there from start to ly inaccessible. However, the Tombstone district Sid Williams, working from dump samples. finish. Over the next 8 yrs hundreds of fine spec- has produced a number of rare tellurium Most of the dumps were lost to early 1980s imens of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, oxysalts, is type locality for nine such species, open-pit, heap-leaching operations, and the calcite, and quartz were collected. The orebody and a number of unknowns are awaiting thoroughness of underground mining makes it was mined out by December 1978, which put description. very difficult to find more than scraps of over- about 100 people out of work. The mine was put Tombstone mining commenced about 1881 on looked tellurium-bearing materials. Nonethe- on a caretaker basis until 1986 when another high-grade ores that cropped out on the surface. less, a late 1980s exploration program that round of mining took place until 1990. During These bonanza oxide ores were rapidly followed included systematic underground mapping this short span, some of the finest scheelite crys- to the water table, about 150 m below the sur- resulted in the location of a few small areas of tals to be found in the United States were recov- face. Massive pumps were installed to allow fol- rich tellurium-oxysalt mineralization and the ered from the Camp Bird vein. lowing the rich underlying sulfide ores to discovery of many district type species in situ. The Idarado mine, with access from Red depths ultimately reaching over 350 m. The This has also resulted in the recognition of sev- Mountain and Telluride, had a payroll of about pumps were unable to hold back the water eral attractive, although as yet, undescribed 300 and was mining both replacement orebodies influx, and when one pump failed in the 1890s, species. and fissure vein deposits. The minerals from the the entire district flooded rapidly to the water It is worth emphasizing that the underground replacement orebodies were very similar to table. One later attempt was made in 1912 to workings are in very poor condition and those of the Camp Bird mine, whereas the veins dewater the mines and pursue deep ores, but extremely hazardous. Most underground access yielded gold and base metal sulfides. The Idara- except for this, all twentieth century mining was is sealed, and residents living near the mine do mine ceased operations in November 1978, focused on scavenging remnants and lower- entrances do not hesitate to call the police when and 150 hands were laid off. grade ores bypassed in the rush to follow they see unauthorized activity. The Sunnyside mine, which is located in Sun- bonanzas to depth. Total district production is nyside Basin, was being mined through the estimated to be 2,700,000 tons, grading: 1.53 Secondary tellurium species* American tunnel located at Gladstone, San Juan grams per ton Au; 372 grams per ton Ag; 0.8% Tombstone district, Cochise County County. During the 1970s and 1980s the mine Pb; 0.02% Zn; and 0.13% Cu (Titley, 1993). These (*type locality species in bold) was the largest gold producer, and hundreds of are average grade figures and do not begin to Compiled from: fine specimens of gold were high-graded by the reflect the extremely high gold and silver grades Anthony et al., 1990, Handbook of Mineralogy miners. In the 1980s the mine was in serious found in the enriched upper parts of the system. Anthony et al., 1995, Mineralogy of Arizona financial condition and went through a series of Tombstone mineralization is hosted in a thick Gaines et al., 1997, Dana's New Mineralogy owners. It finally ceased operations in July 1991, sequence of Paleozoic carbonate rocks uncon- Mandarino, 1999, Fleischer's Glossary of Miner- with a layoff of the last 150 people. With the shut formably overlain by Cretaceous shales, sand- al Species 2+ 4+ down of the Sunnyside mine, the industry came stones, and limestones. Structurally, the Tomb- Cesbronite—Cu 5(Te O3)2 (OH)6·2H2O, ortho- to a halt—never again to recover. The golden stone district is folded into a series of northwest- rhombic, reported by Anthony et al., 1995. 2+ 4+ years were over for mining and mineral speci- trending folds cut by northeast-trending faults. Choloalite—Cu Pb(Te O3)2, cubic, dump men recovery in the active mines. A large granitic porphyry stock with related between Grand Central and Little Joe shafts. 6+ During the 1980s and 1990s sporadic small- rhyolitic volcanic rocks abuts the Tombstone Dugganite—Pb3Zn3Te As2O14, hexagonal, scale mining continued, with the recovery of district to the west. Bimodal, rhyolite-lampro- Emerald mine dumps (Little Joe, Old Guard), some very fine mineral specimens. Mineral col- phyre dikes are emplaced along several of the 1978, named for Marjorie Duggan who per- lecting turned from recovering specimens in northeast-trending faults. Mineralization con- formed the analyses. 3+ 4+ active mines to field collecting on mine dumps sists of gold-silver-tellurium veins developed Emmonsite—Fe 2 Te 3O9·2H2O, triclinic, and underground in abandoned mines. In the along the northeast-trending faults and associat- unknown locality (Emerald mine dumps, Lit- early 1990s the Mined Land Reclamation Divi- ed lead-zinc-copper-silver replacement mantos tle Joe shaft dump, Grand Central dump, sion of the Colorado Bureau of Mines initiated a or saddle reefs (rolls) that lie along the crests of Empire mine, underground), 1885, named for program of sealing all mine openings, and it the tight northwest-trending folds—immediate- Samuel Franklin Emmons, economic geolo- then became a race against time to collect and ly below shale beds. The crosscutting relation- gist with USGS. Original type material almost preserve minerals that would never again see ships between these two are unclear, but the certainly rodalquilarite! 4+ the light of day. veins are probably younger. Alteration includes Fairbankite—PbTe O3, triclinic, Grand Central By the mid-1990s most of the abandoned pervasive argillic alteration of the igneous rocks mine dumps, 1979, named for Nathaniel Kel- mines were inaccessible, and collecting turned and marbelization, skarn, and silicification of log Fairbank, an important entrepreneur in to outcrops of fissure veins. Some of the best the sedimentary rocks. The Tombstone district is early Tombstone. milky quartz crystals to be found in the world zoned from a copper-zinc-gold center to lead- Frohbergite—FeTe2, orthorhombic, Joe shaft were collected from solution cavities and vugs zinc-silver to peripheral manganese-silver over dump. 4+ 6+ in fissure veins in the Leadville Limestone, about 6 km. The primary vein mineralogy Girdite—Pb3H2 (Te O3) (Te O6), monoclinic, which crops out in and around Ouray. includes: empressite, hessite, krennerite, telluri- Grand Central mine dumps, 1979, named for Field collecting continues in the San Juans, um, rickardite, and altaite (probably) with Richard Gird (1836–1910), mining engineer and important discoveries are still being made quartz, calcite, fluorite, and adularia gangue. and assayer who made the first rich silver by diligent collectors willing to hike to the Replacement bodies were dominantly com- assays from the Tombstone district. more inaccessible areas. posed of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, 2+ 4+ Graemite—Cu Te O3·H2O, orthorhombic, dis- tetrahedrite, and alabandite with similar trict (Gaines et al., 1997). gangue. The distal manganese mineralization is 2+ 6+ Khinite—PbCu 3Te O4(OH)6, orthorhombic, TELLURIUM OXYSALTS FROM TOMB- dominated by soft manganese oxides. Oxidation Old Guard mine dumps (Empire, under- STONE, ARIZONA, by Peter K. M. Megaw, is nearly complete to the water table except for ground), 1978, named for Ba Saw Khin, petro- IMDEX, Inc., P.O. Box 65538, Tucson, AZ some silica-armored zones. grapher; compare to hexagonal-trigonal for 85728 Tellurium species parakhinite. (Location 7 on index map) 3+ The distinctive green colors of the secondary tel- Mackayite—Fe Te 2O5(OH), tetragonal, Tough- The mention of the Tombstone district of south- lurium species are almost infallibly associated nut–Empire mine. 4+ eastern Arizona conjures up romantic images of with native gold and silver halides, and their Mroseite—CaTe (CO3)O2, orthorhombic, Tomb- the old West including prospectors braving hos- utility as a guide to riches was clearly recog- stone Exploration Incorporated pit (= Con-

32 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1 tention–Tranquility Zone). FOUR FACES OF GOLD, by Harry Covey, 479 nite reflective crystal surface. The structure 4+ 6+ Oboyerite—Pb6H6(Te O3)3 (Te O6)2·2H2O, tri- Country Road 83, Boulder, CO 80302 resembles rotten wood. clinic, Grand Central mine dumps, 1979, To most gold seekers, gold prospecting means As with most things, the more you know named for O. (Oliver) Boyer, one of the first getting out the shovel, gold pan, sluice box, and about a subject, the more you realize how little stakers of the Grand Central claim. plastic buckets, but this is not really gold min- you know. Knowledge provokes questions, and 2+ 6+ Parakhinite—Cu 3PbTe O6(OH)2, hexagonal- ing. Placer mining is the recovery of gold after knowledge of gold is no exception. trigonal, Emerald mine dumps (Empire mother nature has done the mining, milling, and underground), 1978, named in allusion to its concentrating of the heavy minerals, including dimorphous relationship to khinite. gold. Yellow gold is only a small part of the gold TURQUOISE AT TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN, Paratellurite—TeO2, tetragonal, Little Joe mine story. The four faces of gold are the four ways OLD HACHITA, NEW MEXICO, by Robert dump. gold exists, and all should be considered by any D. Beard, 6259 South Highlands Circle, Harris- 2+ 4+ Quetzalcoatlite—Zn8Cu 4(Te O3)3(OH)18, prospector seeking a productive venture into burg, PA 17111 hexagonal, Empire mine. the world of gold. (Location 8 on index map) 3+ 4+ Rodalquilarite—H3Fe 2(Te O3)4Cl, triclinic, Face one, crystalline gold—This face of gold Turquoise Mountain is in the Eureka mining dis- Grand Central mine dump. is the most common form that weekend trict in the Little Hatchet Mountains, Grant 6+ Schieffelinite—Pb(Te ,S)O4·H2O, orthorhom- prospectors seek. It includes flakes and nuggets County, New Mexico. It is immediately west of bic, Little Joe and Grand Central mine of the yellow metal. Free gold is formed in a the ghost town of Old Hachita. Turquoise dumps, 1980, named for Ed Schieffelin, stage- crystal pattern (though often distorted by Mountain is on Bureau of Land Management coach driver and prospector who "found his impact) and is identified by its crystalline lattice land, and New Mexico State land is present to tombstone" and is credited with discovering framework of gold molecules, orderly arrayed the south and east. Access to the area is good, the Tombstone district. as the crystal grew naturally. Errant molecules but four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended 3+ 4+ Sonoraite—Fe Te O3(OH)·H2O, monoclinic, of the other elements, such as silver, are com- as sections of the road are not maintained. Little Joe shaft dump. monly present. This is the gold of the Mother Indians first worked the deposits for turquoise 2+ 4+ Tlapallite—H6(Ca,Pb)2(Cu ,Zn)3(SO)4(Te O3)4 Lode, the Klondike of Canada, and of Brecken- hundreds of years ago. In the 1880s mines in the 6+ (Te O6), monoclinic, Lucky Cuss mine dump. ridge, Colorado. district were worked for gold, silver, and cop- Winstanleyite 4+ per, but none of these deposits proved of great —TiTe 3O8, cubic, Grand Central Face two, refined gold or melted gold—This economic importance. In 1885 miners began mine dump, 1979, named for Betty Joe Win- face of gold is represented by the fact that the working the district for turquoise. Mining lasted stanley, finder of first specimen. gold is not crystalline but rather a solid solution 2+ 6+ until 1888 and was restarted in 1892 but with lit- Xocomecatlite—Cu 3Te O4(OH)4, orthorhom- or an alloy with other metals. This is the gold of tle result. In 1908 extensive mining started, but it bic, Emerald mine dump. jewelry and coinage. Also, it is the gold of Fort 6+ only lasted a few years. Fine sky-blue material Yafsoanite—Ca3Zn3(Te O6)2, isometric, Empire Knox and the melted bubbles of gold that result was reported to have come from a number of Mine underground; this is the material used from roasting the minerals of gold. The only dif- claims (Carter, 1965). to determine the garnet structure of yafsoan- ference between this face of gold and crystalline The turquoise deposits in the Little Hatchet ite. gold is that it is not naturally occurring and is a Mountains have reportedly produced some solid solution. The gold of Fort Knox is neither a Reference large pieces of turquoise. Sinkankas (1997) solid solution nor an alloy; it is elemental gold described a 160 lb piece that was extracted in Titley, S. R., 1993, Characteristics of high tem- (99.999% pure or 24K). perature carbonate-hosted massive sulfide 1926 from a mine in the Hachita Mountains. Face three, complex gold mineral ores in the United States, Mexico, and Peru; in s—This face This piece was carved into a scene depicting a Kirkham, R. V., Sinclair, W. D., Thorpe, R. I., of gold is the gold of Cripple Creek and Boulder, pueblo and its occupants and was exhibited at and Duke, J. M. (eds.), Mineral deposit mod- Colorado, Romania, and the Carlin Trend of the Tucson Gem and Mineral show in 2001 by eling: Geologic Association of Canada, Nevada, and all of the other areas that produce Freedland’s Jewelry of Tucson, Arizona. The Special Paper 40, pp. 585–614. refractory gold ore. These are the complex min- piece weighed 121 lb after carving and was con- erals of gold. Gold combines chemically as a sidered to be the largest in the world (Tucson compound and forms crystals with a lattice pat- Show Web site, 2001). tern. It differs profoundly from crystalline gold Carson (1975) described the area in detail from because the elements that comprise the anion in a collector’s standpoint. Whereas Turquoise SAMPLING THE FINEST, by Jeff Scovil, P.O. the mineral affect the structure of the crystal. Mountain has been the focus of turquoise activ- Box 7773, Phoenix, AZ 35011 This face of gold includes the tellurides and ity in the Eureka mining district, showings that An aspect of my job as a mineral and jewelry pyritic minerals such as pyrrhotite, arsenopy- are not profitable for large-scale commercial photographer is a great deal of travel, both in rite, marcasite, and pyrite often referred to as mining yet attractive to collectors, surround the the United States and Europe. I photograph for auriferous pyrite where molecules of gold are area around Turquoise Mountain. The Azure museums, dealers, collectors, and publishers. I included in the crystal structure. The telluride mine, not to be confused with the Azure mine in see everything from the most mundane pieces to minerals include sylvanite, krennerite, the Burro Mountains turquoise district, is locat- the best—those pieces that are drooled over in calaverite, muthmanite, nagyagite, etc. ed on top of Turquoise Mountain and has pro- museum display cases and at mineral shows. Face four, the pseudomorphs of gold—This duced high-grade material. The Cameo mine, This presentation for the New Mexico Mineral face of gold is present only in the supergene or about 1 mi northwest of the northeast end of Symposium will be a sampling of some of the oxidized area of a rich telluride vein or orebody. Turquoise Mountain, was developed by a verti- finest that I have seen. Many will be well-known It is residual gold that results from the leaching cal shaft. The Cameo mine is one of the oldest in species that we see at every show, and others action of ground water in the process of erosion. the region based on the number of stone tools will be rarities that are, nevertheless, some of the Pseudomorphs of gold after sylvanite are found, and the material is similar to that of the best of their kind. known as “rusty gold,” and after calavarite and Azure mine. The Galilee mine, about 0.5 mi There are a number of questions that are sure krennerite are known as “mustard gold” or southwest of Turquoise Mountain, was worked to be on some of your minds. No, I do not shoot “sponge gold.” These are the rarest forms of by a large pit and produced from two prominent yet with digital cameras, but I know that some- gold and are so rare that most people do not rec- veins. The Aztec mine, named because of its pre- day I will—when the prices come down and the ognize them or know of their existence. They are historic workings, is about 1.5 mi southwest of quality goes up. I am also not involved in the not spectacular or beautiful like crystalline gold, Turquoise Mountain. The Aztec mine was digital manipulation of my images (i.e., Adobe in fact, they are somewhat ugly. The rareness worked by an adit, and the turquoise is present Photoshop), but I will be shortly. All of my 35- stems from the fact that they exist only in the in seams as nuggets scattered throughout the mm work is done with one of three Canon F1 upper part (5–10 ft) of an oxidized telluride rock. The turquoise here is soft and pale and cameras. I shoot both with tungsten light (with vein. They were the first gold to be sent to the sometimes fades under exposure. Darker blue Kodak Ektachrome 64T film) and with daylight smelter to put beans and bacon on a starving turquoise is reported to occur in the American studio flash using Fuji Velvia (ISO 50). I use prospector’s table. The pseudomorphs retain Turquoise mine, which is a few hundred yards either a 50-mm or a 100-mm Canon macro lens the lattice pattern of the original telluride crystal west of the Cameo mine. This claim was worked with these cameras. I also do a great deal of but have voids that are left when ground water from both an open pit and a shaft. The turquoise work with a large format (4x5 inch) Sinar F cam- leaches away the tellurium. Thus, a porous and here is quite hard and is predominantly pure era. fragile framework of gold remains with no defi- turquoise. Carson (1975) noted that these sites

February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY 33 and most of the other claims in the area are green. A breaker bar is useful for breaking out WULFENITE IN THE TUSAS AND FLUO- patented, but that collectors would encounter large slabs, and a flat chisel with a hammer can RITE IN AMALIA—NEW MINERAL STO- no entry problems as long as property rights are be used to split apart smaller pieces. Areas with RIES IN NEW MEXICO, by Jesse M. Kline, respected. During a site visit in August of 2000, veinlets on the surface should be explored deep- 5094 NDCBU, 511 Apache, Taos, NM 87571 no indications of claims stakes or indications of er with a breaker bar, as collecting in the district (Location 9 on index map) other restrictions to collecting for personal col- has undoubtedly removed the bulk of the loose In late summer of the year 2000, two mineral lections were observed in the area of Turquoise turquoise on the surface. specimens came into my possession that have Mountain. haunted and driven my field collection ever Geologic mapping by Zeller (1970) indicates References since. One is an astonishing plate, 20 cm in that Turquoise Mountain consists of a Carson, Xanthus, 1975, Turquoise in New Mexi- length, of skarn-like material sprinkled with hydrothermally altered monzonite stock and co: Rockhound, v. 4, no. 2, March–April. simple rectangular crystals of amber-colored andesite and andesite breccia of the Hidalgo Carter, M.D., 1965, Gem materials, in Mineral wulfenites (as much as 5 mm in length). The volcanics. The Hidalgo volcanics are believed to and water resources of New Mexico: New other is a single, loose, very pale purple octahe- be early Tertiary in age, indicating that the mon- Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral dron of fluorite containing small crystals of chal- zonite stock may also be early Tertiary. Where Resources, Bulletin 87, pp. 267–276. copyrite—measuring 2 cm tip to tip. exposed, the stock is generally iron stained due Sinkankas, John, 1997, Gemstones of North It is the story of their origin that intrigued to the abundance of disseminated pyrite in the America: Geoscience Press, Inc., v. III, Tucson, me. There is no known record of wulfenite in unweathered rock. Much of the rock has been Arizona, 526 pp. the north-central Tusas Mountains; there is no altered to clay minerals, and this is immediately “A big piece of blue,” in Snapshots from Tucson, known record of fluorite in the extreme north- apparent from the fine-grained, white character 2001 [database online] (Tucson Show Web ern part of Taos County. of the rock. Turquoise is present in altered rocks site) [cited October 4, 2001] available from My presentation is a recollection of events in along the borders of the stock. http://www.tucsonshow.com/reports/tuc my investigation of these two specimens— Collecting of turquoise at Turquoise Mountain son2001/p13.shtml. attempting to reconcile the oral historical record is relatively easy, and loose pieces can be found Zeller, Robert A., 1970, Geology of the Little with the geological model in order to find the on the surface of trench floors and in piles along Hatchet Mountains, Hidalgo and Grant source. My documentation of said investigation the sides of old equipment trenches and cuts. Counties, New Mexico: New Mexico Bureau has taken on overtones of “something funny Most of the turquoise in the walls of trenches of Mines and Mineral Resources, Bulletin 96, happened to me on the way to the symposium.” and cuts is present as veinlets and along fracture 26 pp. But it makes for a fine “fishing” tale in the fillings. Color ranges from sky blue to light annals of New Mexico minerals.

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34 NEW MEXICO GEOLOGY February 2002, Volume 24, Number 1