Best Of California Minerals

I've been field collecting minerals here in California for 35 odd years now so I thought it would be fitting to start a thread on the minerals of this fine state.

Tincalconite after Borax to start with from the U.S. Borax open pit mine at Boron, Kern Co., California. Specimen measures 7 x 4 x 3 cm.




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2011 06:56AM by Rock Currier.

Azurite and Malachite, on Quartz and Limonite, Pilot Hill, El Dorado Co., California. Self collected. Specimen measures 5.5 x 5 x 4 cm.

Hi Jay;

I present for your viewing pleasure a Colemanite piece from the Furnace Creek District, ~60 x 50 x 70 mm. Always liked this piece, and it fluoresces too, an added bonus.


Andy Haighton,
Brampton, Ontario

Tourmaline Gem Pocket, from the Himalaya Mine, Mesa Grande, California. Size: 13"W X 9"H X 8"D.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2012 05:43PM by David Dugan.

Nice gem pocket specimen Dave!

Here's a elbaite tourmaline from the same locality that measures 6 x 3 x 2.5 cm.

Fluorite from the Felix Mine exhibiting an usual crystal habit. Specimen size 6.5 x 4.2 cm.

© A&M

AM your talent with the camera never fails to amaze me, you are a true artist!


Rubellite in Lepidolite,Stewart Mine,Pala District,San Diego Co., California.Measures 13 x 11 x 9 cm.

Here's a nice gem quality Lemon Opal from the Manhattan Mine, Knoxville, Knoxville District, Napa Co., California. This material really fluoresces brightly under short wave UV. measures 11 x 6 x 2.5 cm



Here's the sliced end of the same specimen.

Here's a large single Idocrase crystal collected back in the 1950's from the Stifle Claim, Traverse Creek Area, El Dorado Co., California. Measures 7 x 6 x 6 cm.

Molybdenite with minor Scheelite,Moore Creek, Garnet Hill, Calaveras Co., California. Measures 24 x 16 x 8 cm. Collected back in the 1980's.

After this year's splendid Tucson Gem and Mineral Show focus on "Minerals of California", I'll add this picture of an exceptional gold specimen from the Mockingbird Mine in the Whitlock District. Thanks to "The San Francisco Crystal Gazers" who exhibited it. Size is approximately 1.5 inches, if I recall it correctly. I apologize for a yellow tint of the photo, it must have been the showcase illumination.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2011 11:21PM by Christian Lobscheid.

Hi,

Thanks for giving me an education on fine California minerals.

I won't post any tourmaline specimens because of overkill but I thought this unique specimen might interest you fellows and gals.

Smoky quartz with rutile inclusions, 6cm by 9cm. Collected by Terry Szenics circa 2001 at a logging camp on Devil Peak, Southeast Placer County, California. Terry told me quartz crystals were exposed by a bulldozer and some of them had rutile inclusions. Terry told me this crystal was sent to Santiago, Chile in 2003 for polishing to reveal the rutile. Acquired in April 2010 from Terry Szenics at the Rochester, New York show. . I did a Google search on the location and came up with these approximate coordinates: 38.939N, 120.524W. For further information you can research USGS Devil Peak Quad.


Best,

Joe

Epidote
Garnet Hill Mine (Rheona claim), Garnet Hill, Moore Creek - Mokelumne River confluence area, Calaveras Co., California, USA

A fine 10cm long Epidote crystal with smaller 5cm crystal (lying down). Both crystals are twinned. These are the terminations of crystals that were up to .5m -.75m in length. The non-terminated sections were cut and produced very dark green chaytoyant stones.

Self collected in 1966.

Thanks for starting a great topic Jay, and really nice specimens everyone!

Nice stuff everyone!

I've posted this specimen I am using as my avatar on the favorite's thread in the past but I thought I'd post it again here full size.
Native Gold, Eagles Nest mine, Foresthill, California. It measures 2.5 x 2.3 cm.

Andy, are you sure your Colemanite is from Furnace creek and not Boron?

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

Spodumene (var. Kunzite) from the recent (2010) finds at the Oceanview Mine, Pala, San Diego County, California. Size is 11.3 x 3.2 x 2.0 cm. California Rocks!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/2011 04:50AM by Christopher Wentzell.

Rock Currier Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Andy, are you sure your Colemanite is from Furnace
> creek and not Boron?

Hi Rock;

Just going by the dealers label, though I admit that Boron seems more similar in photo. Would you suggest a mineral locality move?
Can be done, just give the word.

Andy Haighton,
Brampton, Ontario

Nice California Kunzite Christopher!!

Sphero-Siderite Mount Diablo Mine, Contra Costa Co., California.Measures 13 x 9 x 7 cm.


The specimen is a catacomb of solid sphero-siderite. Here's a view of the back side.




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2011 02:37AM by Jay Buscio.

Chalcopyrite on Drusy Quartz, After-Thought Mine, Whiskeytown, Shasta Co., California. Sharp chalcopyrite's cover both the front and back of this piece. Measures 11 x 7 x 4 cm.


Here's the flip side.