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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 24, 2017 01:36 Post subject: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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The past few days I and a good collecting buddy, Chris Cowan, went back to collect at the Macy mine for the yellow vanadinites. Chris brought a hammer drill to help open the pocket up more. The drill worked great, although the batteries only lasted a few hours under the heavy work load. We were able to open the pocket to where we could crawl about 1 meter farther back and hit another vanadinite/calcite pocket only ~20 cm below the first pocket that produced the transparent lemon yellow vanadinite. The vanadinite from the second pocket is not quite as lemon yellow or gemmy, but it did produce a few specimens of yellow prismatic crystals with distinctive orange caps.
Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Chris collecting in the calcite/vanadinite pocket. |
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56282 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Photo of the location for the 1st and 2nd vanadinite/calcite pockets. |
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56333 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Ice pick is pointing to the 2nd pocket. Note the calcite crystals barely visible under the dirt. |
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56241 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Vanadinite (variety arsenatian), Calcite |
Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 9.0 x 6.2 cm |
Description: |
A nice combination specimen from the 2nd pocket. Crystals are more tabular than prismatic. |
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56323 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Vanadinite (variety arsenatian), Calcite |
Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 5.7 x 4.5 cm, largest crystal is 9 mm |
Description: |
The best specimen that came out of the 2nd pocket. These crystals have orange caps, which I think might be an indication of the solid solution series between vanadinite and the arsenic-rich variety. Without having done analytical work on the color zones, I think that the yellow part of the crystal is arsenic-rich and the orange part of the crystal is closer in composition to the end-member vanadinite. I will get a better photo of the specimen when I get my set-up out of storage. |
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Mineral: | Vanadinite (variety arsenatian) |
Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 8 mm |
Description: |
A cute thumbnail/micro from the first pocket. |
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56258 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 24, 2017 14:35 Post subject: Re: Collecting at the Macy mine for the yellow Vanadinites |
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Thanks for moving this as a new topic. Can one of the Admin make a New Mexico Collecting thread and include the Macy mine in it? I am planning on writing and showing photographs for many more New Mexico localities, and this topic should be part of a larger group of stories/photos.
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 24, 2017 15:09 Post subject: Re: Collecting at the Macy mine for the yellow Vanadinites |
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A few more photos from the first trip I took with my father in June 2016. The vanadinite photo is on my collection page, but it needs to be part of this topic as the specimen is most likely the best vanadinite (variety arsenatian) that has been found from the Macy mine.
Mineral: | Vanadinite (variety arsenatian), Calcite |
Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 4.7 x 4.1 cm, Largest crystal is 1.1 cm |
Description: |
A very fine vanadinite/calcite combination from the first pocket found June 2016. |
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56232 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Looking south toward Percha Creek and the Macy mine. The mine is a few meters to the right of the red rock in the distance. |
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56173 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
My father collecting on the small dumps of the mine, June 2016. |
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56168 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The 1st pocket that produced the gemmy, lemon-yellow vanadinites is circled on the photo. |
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56176 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
We also found many calcite specimens. This large cabinet specimen is now in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mineral Museum in Socorro, New Mexico. If you haven't been there, you need to go at least once. The museum has many fine worldwide specimens and the best collection of New Mexico minerals anywhere. |
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56167 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Macy Mine, Percha Creek, Hillsboro, Hillsboro District, Sierra County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Another nice calcite specimen that I kept in my collection. |
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56169 Time(s) |
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Pete Modreski
Site Admin
Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 709
Location: Denver, Colorado
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Posted: Feb 24, 2017 17:41 Post subject: Re: Collecting at the Macy mine for the yellow Vanadinites |
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Thanks for sharing these photos, Philip! Great vanadinites. I've collected there, with Ray DeMark, but, gosh, it's probably been over 35 years ago.
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Jordi Fabre
Overall coordinator of the Forum
Joined: 07 Aug 2006
Posts: 4904
Location: Barcelona
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Posted: Feb 25, 2017 06:48 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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In https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=55860#55860 Philip Simmons wrote: | Thanks for moving this as a new topic. Can one of the Admin make a New Mexico Collecting thread and include the Macy mine in it? I am planning on writing and showing photographs for many more New Mexico localities, and this topic should be part of a larger group of stories/photos. |
All fixed (see: https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=55850#55850 )
Please continue your great histories in this thread and if your histories continues to be so good as the current one we will move this thread to the VIP section Featured Columns of FMF
Jordi
PS: Please remember to assign the locatities (if already created in our data base) when you post because it avoids a lot of work to the administrators. Thank you!
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 25, 2017 14:02 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Jordi Fabre wrote: | In https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=55860#55860 Philip Simmons wrote: | Thanks for moving this as a new topic. Can one of the Admin make a New Mexico Collecting thread and include the Macy mine in it? I am planning on writing and showing photographs for many more New Mexico localities, and this topic should be part of a larger group of stories/photos. |
All fixed (see: https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/viewtopic.php?p=55850#55850 )
Please continue your great histories in this thread and if your histories continues to be so good as the current one we will move this thread to the VIP section Featured Columns of FMF
Jordi
PS: Please remember to assign the locatities (if already created in our data base) when you post because it avoids a lot of work to the administrators. Thank you! |
Thank you, Jordi! Of course, there are many more good stories/histories to tell! ;)
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 17:00 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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One of New Mexico's most renowned localities is the Mina Tiro Estrella claim located near Ruidoso. In the late 1970's the famous southwestern field collector, Dick Jones, learned about a smoky quartz vein at the foot of the Capitan Mountains and decided to investigate. He dug there for several months and eventually found a series of pockets that produced superb dark smoky quartz Japan-law twins on a quartz/feldspar matrix. These specimens quickly gained notoriety, both good and bad. The good: the specimens Dick collected made a huge impact on the collecting community, and collectors quickly snapped them up when he set up "tables" of the material at the Tucson show. The bad: nobody who has worked the claim since has found even a fraction of the quantity of dark smoky quartz that Dick had, and there are credible reports that he sent them to a University of Arizona lab to be irradiated and turn the quartz a dark smoky color. Once word of the find got out, Dick had many problems with high-grading , and he eventually let the claim lapse. The claim lay mostly dormant for the next several decades, although several people owned the mineral rights during that time.
I had always dreamed of collecting here, but I had never been able with my father when I was growing up. A little over five years ago, I was finally able to track down the exact location of the claim, although I was told by New Mexico collectors that the area was mostly worked out by the previous owners. However, I was determined to collect there since it was a childhood dream. The first trip took me several hours to locate the pit that had been dug by previous workers because everything had been overgrown by plants due to a fire in the early 2000's. Near the end of the day I did manage to find the place, and I immediately located a good spot along the side of the 5 meter by 15 meter pit. Within two hours I had dug several nice twins (up to 3 cm), and I was hooked! I have been working the Mina Tiro Estrella locality ever since, of which I am now a part owner.
Quartz from the claim is generally light-to-medium smoky, and untwinned crystals, to 9 cm, are often the Tessin habit. One unique aspect about the quartz is that a large percentage of crystals form contact Japan-law twins. The twins are highly striated on the prism faces perpendicular to the twinning plane. Twins range in size from less than a centimeter to over 12 cm wide. They also form "heart" or "butterfly" twins, "rabbit-ear" twins and elongated vertical twins where the re-entrant angle is nearly imperceptible. I have even managed to find an extremely rare Reichenstein-Greiserntal twin!
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Looking toward the claim from the burned out foot of El Capitan mountains. |
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55709 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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The claim as it looked when I was there for the first time in 2012. |
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55714 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
My dad and a friend starting to dig the crystal vein, June 2012. This vein is unique to my knowledge in that it is a feldspar/quartz vein that produces Japan-law twinned quartz. Most twinned quartz that I'm aware of comes from contact metasomatic zones or from hydrothermal-type veins. |
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55720 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
My dad has found a twin! June 2012. |
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55772 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
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55746 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 3.0 x 2.6 cm |
Description: |
Japan law twinned thumbnail. Collected 2012. |
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55706 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Sierra Blanca, Sacramento Mountains, White Mountain Wilderness, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A view of Sierra Blanca from the base of El Capitan mountains. This is where the superb smoky quartz crystals from the "Smokey Bear Prospect" were found in the 1980's and 1990's. |
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55677 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Preparing for the 2.3 mile hike to the claim. With Tim Dorris, 2013 |
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55734 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Tim has found two nice twins after a couple hours of digging. 2013 |
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55715 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Tim has exposed a nice twin, possibly on matrix. 2013 |
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55734 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The twin has been extracted. It is in great condition, but unfortunately the matrix disintegrated just after being collected. This is the hardest problem with collecting at Mina Tiro Estrella. Twins are plentiful, but finding them in good condition on matrix is very uncommon. 2013 |
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55687 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 17:12 Post subject: Re: Collecting at the Macy mine for the yellow Vanadinites |
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Pete Modreski wrote: | Thanks for sharing these photos, Philip! Great vanadinites. I've collected there, with Ray DeMark, but, gosh, it's probably been over 35 years ago. |
Thanks, Pete! Ray was the one who first told me about the area where the vanadinite/calcite combos are found.
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Glen Miller
Joined: 30 Jun 2016
Posts: 6
Location: Redding, California
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 17:21 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Phil,
Thank you for your report along with the excellent photos. It's a treat to actually see the fabled quartz locality and extracted treasures. Your picture of Sierra Blanca reminds me of the times I've looked from there toward the El Capitan site, wondering what ever happened to it. Friends have tried finding the location without success, so I wish you continued success in collecting.
Glen Miller
Redding, CA
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 18:29 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Here are a few more photos from Mina Tiro Estrella. This brings everything up to date for the claim. I will post more photos as I continue to dig for twinned smoky quartz!
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Our camp for three nights, 2013. |
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55622 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
We found a large one! We were able to extract the twin on matrix, but because the matrix consisted of so much clay, we weren't able to keep the twin attached. 2013 |
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55706 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Another nice twin in a pocket. Note that the twin is almost as big as the entire pocket. As usual, there was no matrix attached. 2015 |
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55629 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Shade for a sunny day in July, 2015. At this point I had dug a trench about 5 meters long by 1.3 meters wide by 2.7 meters deep. |
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55586 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
An unusual pocket in that only a few quartz crystals were found. Not the large twin above my hand. 2015 |
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55593 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The twin from the previous photo. Note that one "wing" of the twin is a Tessin habit crystal, and is darker smoky. I personally don't know of another specimen like this. Has anyone else seen a Tessin Japan-law twin before? |
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55592 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 9.3 cm |
Description: |
Here is a photo of the Tessin Japan-law twin cleaned up. |
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55590 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A huge pocket (left of hammer) with a good story, 2015 |
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55583 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 7.5 cm twin on matrix |
Description: |
The best twin on matrix just recovered from the pocket. 2015 |
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55582 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 7.5 cm twin on matrix |
Description: |
The best twin cleaned before being repaired to the matrix. |
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55620 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz (variety smoky) |
Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 7.5 cm twin on matrix |
Description: |
The twin after cleaning and repair. Jeff Scovil photo. |
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55602 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Tiro Estrella Mine, El Capitan Mountains, Capitan District, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
And finally, a picture from last year of a very good collecting day. I hit a pocket near the surface that produced close to 30 twins of decent-to-excellent quality. |
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55636 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 19:06 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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I forgot to include this little story for the "Best twin just from pocket" photo.
My best find of the entire time I've been digging on the claim has a good story. I had been digging for two days and had found a few good specimens (see Tessin Japan-law twin). As I dug deeper in the vein, I opened up a huge pocket for the locality. It was 25 cm across by 70 cm deep and had nothing in it! This is very unusual because most pockets have many, if not hundreds of, small quartz crystals in them. I only found one partial twin in the entire pocket. After two frustrating hours of digging nothing but pocket clay, I eventually hit a piece of quartz in the very bottom of the pocket with my digging tool. I didn't pay much attention to it until the next bit of clay removed revealed a large crystal. I excitedly uncovered the rest of the crystal and then the other half of the twin! As I pulled the twin from the clay I noticed an indentation in the ceiling of the pocket that looked like matrix. Sure enough, I extracted the matrix and matched the rock to the twin. The resulting specimen is the best twin I have found on the claim and one of the best twins to have ever been found there!
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Glen Miller
Joined: 30 Jun 2016
Posts: 6
Location: Redding, California
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 19:47 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Philip, although the ground may be wet, have you tried to stabilize the clay "matrix" with thin Star Bond like the paleios do for their bones? Might result in more specimens on "matrix."
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Feb 26, 2017 19:58 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Glen Miller wrote: | Philip, although the ground may be wet, have you tried to stabilize the clay "matrix" with thin Star Bond like the paleios do for their bones? Might result in more specimens on "matrix." |
Glen, I have done this with a couple of specimens that I wanted to take out the whole small pocket. It is useful in recovering much of the crumbling host rock. I really don't consider these on matrix, though.
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Feb 27, 2017 03:09 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Wow Philip, how blessed you are to have a dad that digs with you. Mine died many years ago. Field trips are so exciting, especially when one sees where the specimens on the shelves originated from from. Thank you for sharing your exciting adventures with us.
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Kelvin Hu
Joined: 14 Feb 2017
Posts: 6
Location: Xiamen
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Posted: Feb 27, 2017 04:37 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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So good article to read through! Waiting for your next update!
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Apr 23, 2017 16:18 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Hi all,
Sorry for the long wait between postings. I have been out field collecting almost non-stop for the past 6-8 weeks as it is prime season for outdoor activities. I will post some of our recent findings soon as I get the minerals cleaned and prepped. For now I want to present the Cookes Peak District, which has produced many great fluorites along with other interesting minerals.
The Cookes Peak and Jose Districts were first discovered in 1876, and production started in 1880. The first target was argentiferous galena, followed by oxidized lead and zinc ores. Final production was focused on the primary lead and zinc sulfides. The mines ran intermittently through 1953. The ore bodies are classified as manto-replacement type, and were usually on the order of less than 1,000 tons per zone. Overall production of the District was relatively small: 7.7 million tons of lead, 5.8 million tons of zinc and >6,000 ounces of silver. However, it's mostly the gangue minerals (fluorite, vanadinite, sidwillite, calcite, quartz) that are of interest to collectors.
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A map of New Mexico with Cookes Peak labeled. |
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54341 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Topographic map of the Cookes Peak and Jose sub-districts. |
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54319 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Google Earth (2015) image of the Cookes Peak area, looking South. |
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54364 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Looking at Cookes Peak to the South, with Ray DeMark on a mine dump that produced fluorite. |
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54641 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Another picture of Cookes Peak with the Surprise |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Crawling into the adit of the Surprise #1 mine (Mike Sanders photo). This is the mine where many of the superb fluorites have been found. |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Fred Ortega working in fluorite pocket. He found some nice purple and green octahedrons perched on blue-gray cubes. |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Fred with a nice fluorite octahedron on cubes. |
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54365 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The fluorite pocket in situ. FOV = 1 meter |
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54391 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Mike Sanders wrapping specimens as Chris Cowan hands them out. The second day collecting (April 10, 2014), we found a large pocket that took two full weeks to dig. The pocket produced 80 flats of material that consisted of medium-to-dark purple octahedrons with bright green cores sitting on plates of blue-gray cubic fluorite. The color contrast on many of the specimens was outstanding. I will upload many specimens to show the variety of specimens produced from this one pocket. |
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54388 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
My sketch of the large pocket we hit. The areas hatched in purple are the first 10 day dig, and the areas hatched in green are the second 4 day dig. The first dig produced many dark purple octahedrons on cubes, while the second dig produced bright green etched octahedrons on cubes. |
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54325 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Chris Cowan in the pocket. He is lying down in the whole length of the pocket that we have already dug out. |
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54294 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Apr 23, 2017 17:10 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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Some more photos from the Cookes Peak District.
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A 60 cm view into the "chamber" that Chris was looking into for the last photo. Note the purple, green and blue fluorite covering every wall of the pocket. |
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54823 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A closer view of a 20 cm fluorite knob in the pocket chamber. The pocket eventually opened up to a chamber that measured 1.5 x 1 x 1 meters in dimension. This is where many of the best specimens came out, including the "Camel", which I will show in the following pictures. |
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54826 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | ~36 cm |
Description: |
The "Camel". Mike holding the superb fluorite that looks like a kneeling camel, just collected from the pocket. I had been collecting in another area for a few minutes and came back to Mike and Chris shouting loud enough to wake the dead. The octahedrons reach over 5 cm, and the specimen has a good mix of all three colors. In my opinion, this is one of the finest fluorites to ever come from New Mexico. |
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54870 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A closer view of the "Camel" fluorite. |
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54803 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The "Camel" unwrapped and ready for cleaning. One of these days I will try to get a good photo of the specimen after cleaning. The specimen was bought and donated to the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mineral Museum in Socorro. They have the largest and best collection of New Mexico specimens in existence, as well as many other fine world-wide specimens. |
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54791 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Mike Sanders looking from the large chamber of the pocket. His head is where the "Camel" was found lying loose on the pocket floor. |
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54848 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Enjoying a perfect evening after a hard day of collecting. From left to right: Mike Sanders, Chris Cowan, Fred Ortega. |
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54819 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Unwrapping specimens from the day's finds. |
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54828 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.0 cm |
Description: |
Octahedron on cubes from an older find in 1969. |
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54830 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 10.4 cm |
Description: |
Dark purple octahedrons found by Chris Cowan in 1980. |
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54885 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.1 cm |
Description: |
Magenta and dark purple octahedrons on blue-gray cubes. This specimen is from the 2014 pocket. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54896 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 4.2 cm |
Description: |
Etched green and purple octahedron on first-generations cubes. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54839 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 10.1 cm |
Description: |
Dark purple octahedrons. Largest crystal is 5.5 cm on edge. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54837 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Apr 23, 2017 17:40 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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We worked the pocket for 10 days and had dug all the fluorite in sight. Everybody was ready to go home and recover after spending so much time in the dingy, dirty mine. A few days later I called Chris, Mike and Fred to see if they wanted to dig in the pocket area a little bit more. Both thought there was still some potential to find good specimens, but Mike and Fred had other commitments, so it was just Chris and I collecting this time.
We dug in a promising area that had produced some highly etched green fragments of fluorite, and within a couple hours we opened up another chamber to the large pocket. Interestingly enough, this part of the pocket was under muck in the old drift the miners had driven well over a hundred years ago. This time the pocket produced vibrant ("jolly-rancher") green etched octahedrons sitting on 1st generation etched blue cubes. This 4 day trip produced many more specimens, including a large plate of green and purple fluorite, known as the "Jolly Green Giant". This specimen also now resides in the NMBGMR Mineral Museum collection.
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Another sketch of the big pocket. The locations for both the "Camel" and "Jolly Green Giant" are labeled. |
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54826 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
Chris with a sweet specimen of green fluorite just collected. |
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54789 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | ~13 cm |
Description: |
A closer view of specimen 0996. |
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54769 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
A nice specimen under loose muck. Crystals are at bottom center of photo. |
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54807 Time(s) |
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Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Description: |
The finds from trip 2 (2014). |
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54795 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 9.6 cm |
Description: |
Etched fluorite on fluorite. 2nd trip. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54773 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 9.0 cm |
Description: |
Etched fluorite on fluorite. 2nd trip. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54779 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 15.5 cm |
Description: |
Not as etched fluorite on fluorite. 2nd trip. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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54771 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Fluorite, Goethite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 4.9 cm |
Description: |
Goethite overgrowth on fluorite. Mike Sanders/Phil Simmons photo. |
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Viewed: |
54843 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Apr 23, 2017 17:57 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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The Cookes Peak District also produces some other great specimens besides the fluorites form the Surprise #1 workings. I've put together a nice representation of the not so well known specimens from this area.
Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.0 cm |
Description: |
Purple botryoidal fluorite over green fluorite octahedrons. Collected and in collection of Ray DeMark. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54789 Time(s) |
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Philip Simmons
Joined: 24 Feb 2011
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Posted: Apr 23, 2017 18:13 Post subject: Re: New Mexico Collecting - (27) |
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More Cookes Peak area minerals.
Mineral: | Fluorite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 8.0 cm |
Description: |
Collected and in collection of Ray DeMark. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54799 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Smithsonite |
Locality: | Othello group of mines, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 7.0 cm |
Description: |
Pale blue-green smithsonite from the Othello group of mines at Cookes Peak. Collected by and in the collection of Ray DeMark. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54827 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Smithsonite |
Locality: | Othello group of mines, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.0 cm |
Description: |
Yellow smithsonite from the Othello mine group. Ray DeMark collection. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54774 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Cerussite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 1 cm crystal |
Description: |
Twinned cerussite from the Jose? sub-district. Ray DeMark collection. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54803 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Vanadinite, Descloizite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Jose sub-district, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.0 cm |
Description: |
From the Jose sub-district. Collected by and in the collection of Ray DeMark. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54775 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz, Calcite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Jose sub-district, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 9.0 cm |
Description: |
Quartz epimorphs after calcite. From the Jose sub-district. Collected by and in the collection of Mike Sanders. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54824 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz, Calcite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Jose sub-district, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6.0 cm |
Description: |
Quartz epimorphs after calcite. From the Jose sub-district. Collected by and in the collection of Ray DeMark. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54824 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz, Calcite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Jose sub-district, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 5.5 cm |
Description: |
Quartz epimorphs after twinned calcite. From the Jose sub-district. Ray DeMark collection. Mike Sanders photo. |
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54799 Time(s) |
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Mineral: | Quartz, Calcite |
Locality: | Cookes Peak area, Jose sub-district, Cookes Peak District, Luna County, New Mexico, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 10 cm |
Description: |
Quartz epimorphs after twinned calcite. From the Jose sub-district. Terry Huizing collection and photo. |
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54787 Time(s) |
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