FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Matt_Zukowski]

What a great thread. I have enjoyed the great pictures and discussion and this, plus the Northern Areas, Pakistan map that i saw on this or another thread has lead me to the website of Carles Millan, which has a large number of great pictures to look at. Thanks all and thanks Carles - Carles do you have any other maps reconciling locality info?

[Antonio Alcaide]

Very soon -this afternoon, spanish hour- I'll be able to upload again the list of localities checked and completed.

Regarding the last comments I think that giving criteria to choose a locality is interesting but maybe it exceeds the contents of this thread. I have read: quality, quantity, but also rarity. I totally agree with Pete: "no fluorite exhibit would be complete without them". It's a simple criterion but effective. Please take it into account when voting.

Regards

[Les Presmyk]

To Pete Modreski, thank you for your question about which locality I was referring to. The locality was Malberget, Sweden, with comments by JimB and Peter on October 8. How can anyone consider a locality for fluorite in the top five or ten or even twenty in the world when apparently four collectors in the world even know about these specimens? It sounds like one I would like to acquire for Paula's collection but I have never even seen one.

I was not trying to set locality criteria, just trying to point out that single, small pockets will not qualify, for several reasons. The practical side is that if we take a vote, only a few people will vote for this Swedish locality anyway, or any other locality that is locally known and without specimens that have entered the market.

[Jesse Fisher]

Les,
This was exactly my point in commenting about the blue fluorites from the West Cumbrian ironnmines in England. They can be lovely, but there were so few that not many cololectors will ever have encountered them. I have seen a couple of the Malberget fluorites, and can attest to tthe fact that they are surperb. However, they are truly rare and thus I don't think can be considered in the world's top fluorite-producing localities.

Taking both quality and quantity of specimens produced into consideration, my nominations for top ten are:

North Pennines Orefield, England (Blotsburn, Hilton, Rogerley, Heights, etc.)
S. Illinios Fluorspar District (Denton, Minerva #1, Annabel Lee, etc.)
Asturias, Spain (Berbes, La Collada, Moscana, Emilio, etc)
Elmwood Mine
La Mine du Burc, France
Mt. Blanc Massif, Chamonix, France
Erzgiberg Region, Saxony, Germany
Okorusu, Namibia
Dalnegorsk, Russia
Hunan Province, China (Shangbao, Xianghualing, Yaogangxian, etc.)

Cheers,
Jesse

[Antonio Alcaide]

Hi all

Following these lines I am going to post a final list of localities for voting. Please vote just 5 localities in order of priority (first your favorite, second the second one, etcetera...)

Don't worry if you have just voted. I'll pick up the votes posted until now. After voting I will upload the results and an extended list with all the mines you have mentioned, so we can have both lists at our disposal.

Please, vote via pm sending me a message. If not, the thread could be unnecessarily long. I suggest a week term for voting.

Thank you all and I'm looking forward to know the results.

Cheers,
Antonio


EUROPE

United Kingdom

1. North Pennines Orefield, (including Rogerley, Hitlton, Botsburn, Rotherhope Fell, Florence Mine, Ullcoats Mine…)
2. Castleton, Derbyshire
3. Crich Quarry, Crich, Derbyshire

Germany

4. Wölsendorf, Bavaria
5. Saxony (including Freiber, Erzgiberg,…)
5 B. Rottleberode, Stolberg, Harz Mts, Saxony-Anhalt
6. Baden-Württemberg (including Wieden Area, Clara Mine, Hesselbach Mine, Münstertal…)

Switzerland

7. Zingenstock-Gerstenegg-Sommerloch
8. Planggenstock Mt., Göscheneralp, Göschenen Valley, Uri

Italy

9. Is Murvonis Mine, Domusnovas, Carbonia-Iglesias Province, Sardinia

France

10. Mont Blanc, French Alps
11. Midi-Pyrénées (including Le Burg Mine, Valzergues)
12. Buxières-les-Mines, Allier, Auvergne


Spain

13. Asturias (including La Collada Mine, Emilio Mine, Berbes, Moscona Mine…)
14. Arteixo, A Coruña (La Coruña)
15. Berta Quarry, El Papiol, Barcelona

Sweden

16. Malmberget, Gällivare, Lappland


Norway

17. Kongsberg silver Mines, Buskerud Fylke

Austria

18. Salzburg (including Weißeck Mt., Hirschau Quarry)

AMERICA

USA

19. Blanchard Mine, New Mexico
20. Fluorspar district, Illinois (Denton, Minerva #1, Annabel Lee, Cave in Rock)
21. Elmwood mine, Carthage, Tennessee
22. Hardin County, Illinois
23. Pine Canyon Deposit, West Burro Mts, Burro Mountains District, Grant Co., New Mexico
24. American Tunnel, Howardsville, Silverton, San Juan Co, Colorado
25. William Wise Mine, Westmoreland, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire
26. Oatman District, Black Mts, Mohave Co., Arizona
27. Penfield, Monroe Co, New York


MEXICO

28. Naica, Chihuahua
29. Tule Mine, Melchor Muzquiz, Coahuila


PERU

30. Huanzala Mine, Huallanca District, Dos de Mayo Province, Huánuco Department



AFRICA

Namibia

31. Okorusu Mine (Okarusu Mine), Otjiwarongo District, Otjozondjupa Region
32. Erongo Mts.

Morocco

33. Meknès-Tafilalet Region (including El Hamman Mine, Erfoud, Tounfit, Aouli)

South Africa

34. Riemvasmaak, Kakamas District, Northern Cape Province


ASIA

Pakistan

35. Chumar Bakhoor, Hunza Valley, Gilgit District, Northern Areas


China

36. Hunan Province (including Shangbao Pyrite Mine, Yaogangxian Mine, Xianghualing Mine, Xianghuapu Mine


India

37. Mahodari, Nasik District, Maharashtra


Japan

38. Obira mine, Ono-gun, Oita prefecture, Kyushu Island

Russia

39. Dal'negorsk, Primorskiy Kray, Far-Eastern Region

[Tobi]

Hi Antonio, thank you for taking care of this thread. Just one correction concerning the German localities: Rottleberode has nothing do with Saxony or Erzgebirge, it belongs to the Harz Mountains.

Tobi

[Antonio Alcaide]

Thank you, Tobias.

I apologize for my mistake. I'll correct the list tomorrow. I see Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt are quite different.

Cheers

[Antonio Alcaide]

Please don't forget to vote. I'm looking forward publishing the results. Remember you can vote via pm (sending me a message) or posting the score directly.

Cheers,
Antonio Alcaide

[Montanpark]

Hi Antonio, all
ok, here is my vote based on the specimens in my collection display:
1. Fluorspar district, Illinois (Denton, Minerva #1, Annabel Lee, Cave in Rock)
2. North Pennines Orefield, (including Rogerley, Hitlton, Botsburn, Rotherhope Fell, Florence Mine, Ullcoats Mine…)
3. Asturias (including La Collada Mine, Emilio Mine, Berbes, Moscona Mine…)
4. Okorusu Mine (Okarusu Mine), Otjiwarongo District, Otjozondjupa Region
5. Hunan Province (including Shangbao Pyrite Mine, Yaogangxian Mine, Xianghualing Mine, Xianghuapu Mine

cheers
Roger

[Tobi]

Hi all, and here are my 5 favourites:

1. Fluorspar district, Illinois, USA
4. Dal'negorsk, Russia
2. Freiberg area, Saxony, Germany
3. Wölsendorf area, Bavaria, Germany
5. Erongo Mountains, Namibia

Glückauf
Tobias

[Carles Millan]

1. Asturias (including La Collada Mine, Emilio Mine, Berbes, Moscona Mine…)
2. Hunan Province (including Shangbao Pyrite Mine, Yaogangxian Mine, Xianghualing Mine, Xianghuapu Mine
3. Chumar Bakhoor, Hunza Valley, Gilgit District, Northern Areas
4. Elmwood mine, Carthage, Tennessee
5. Riemvasmaak, Kakamas District, Northern Cape Province

[Jesse Fisher]

Picking only five is a hard choice!

1. North Pennines Orefield, England
2. Southern Illinois Fluorspar District, USA
3. Hunan Province, China
4. Dalnegorsk, Russia
5. Asturias, Spain

Cheers!

[Peter]

Your favourite fluorite localities was the question if I read correctly.

That means each one may judge his favourite, no matter if there was one specimen found or 50 000 tons produced per year.

My favourites are based more on quality and variety.
Les, during the past 100 years tens of thousands fo pockets have been encountered and mostly blasted to dust at the Malmberget Mine, Sweden. I have personally together with two miners since the 1980s dug hundreds of interesting pockets, visited and dug thousands medium interesting pockets. The quality of specimens has nothing to do with how many people have seen specimens or how many specimens there are.

I have a lecture at the Kongsberg Mining Museum annual mineralogy conference a few years back and showed about 200 morphologies of calcite from the mines and some fine emerald green, ice blue fluorite as well.

In Tucson I have shown a few specimens of my collections to friends and I have exhibited one superb specimen on fluorite in the exhibits and on three occassions superb calcites. I never made any publicity but I have published an article in the german magazine Mineralien Welt and I am preparing another for US publication : )

Kongsberg is also not so well known. But fact is fact, and booth those localities have produced incredible fluorites, from octahedrons to more complex forms : )

There has never been tons, or thousands of tons produced of fluorite here, this is Morocco and China good at and some tons are incredible!

And of course, it can not be someones favourite until they have seen some images or samples at least! : )

I see the Swiss alps refered to. There are incredible pink and RED fluorites in the Mt Blanc massif in France. There are more than from Malmberget, but the best you have to go to Chamonix to see!
They are no less spectacular because of that!!! It is well worth a trip!!!

The the well known frenck incredible blue fluorites are simply stunning and if we have Hunan Province as a locality, we may just add "La France" as one and I think France will beat any other region of the world!!!

[Antonio Alcaide]

As we are receiving many votes we will post the top five localities in a few days and the following five as well.

I do not forget to publish a final list with -I hope- all the localities you have kindly mentioned.

Comments are also welcome.

Regards

[Antonio Alcaide]

The result of the voting is:

1. Asturias, Spain (23 votes)
2. Mts. Pennines orefield, UK (20 votes)
3. Tied: Fluorspar district, Illinois, USA (19 votes) and Hunan, China (19 votes)
5. Elmwood, Tenesse, USA (12 votes)
_____________________________

The following four localities:

6. Three-way tie: Mont Blanc, France
Okorusu, Namibia
Dal'Negorsk, Russia (all with 11 votes)
9. Erongo Mountains, Namibia (10 votes)


I hope you have enjoyed this thread. Very soon I will post the extended list with all the mentioned localities.

Best whishes