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Chessy copper mines, Chessy-les-Mines, Le Bois d'Oingt, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Photo: jm.CLAUDE
Latitude: 45°53'45"N
Longitude: 4°36'46"E
Anciennes mines de cuivre de Chessy

The ore deposit of Chessy-les-Mines was mined for copper in the Middle Ages until 1875. It's a "stockwerk" mineralization with barite, galena, sphalerite and chalcopyrite hosted in altered soda-dacitic lavas near the devonian Brévenne rift. This orebody was covered by Triassic sediments (clay and sandstone) which were mineralized in turn by hydrothermal fluids during their deposit. Then, primary sulphides were oxidized (during Eocene?) allowing the formation of secondary minerals of lead, zinc and especially copper (azurite, cuprite, malachite, agardite, chrysocolla ...). It is these secondary minerals that have build the celebrity of the Chessy mines, thanks to superb specimens of azurite (called here "chessylite") displayed in many collections today. This reputation has been built from 1811 when the miners opened the famous "Blue Mine" which contained several vugs of azurite in which a man could enter! At the time of operation, engineers distinguished four different parts in the deposit:

The "yellow Mine": native ore (chalcopyrite, pyrite) in speckles or nodules in the dacites

The "black Mine": reduced ore (tenorite, native copper) in black nodules in the altered dacites (contact dacites / Triassic)

The "red Mine": oxidized ore (cuprite, limonite) released into the red clay of the Lower Triassic

The "blue Mine": highly oxidized ore (azurite, cuprite, malachite and smithonite) in clays and sandstones of Middle and Upper Triassic.

Today, the mine is closed but the dumps were bought by the Geological Club of l'Arbresle who conducts regular searches.

Mineral List

Actinolite
Adamite
var: Cuprian Adamite
Agardite-(Nd)
Agardite-(Y)
Allophane
Andalusite
Andradite
var: Melanite
Anglesite
Anhydrite
'Apatite'
Aragonite
Arsenolite
Arsenopyrite
Aurichalcite
Autunite
Azurite (TL)
Baryte
'Biotite'
Bismuth
Bismuthinite
Boothite
Bornite
Boulangerite
Bournonite
Breithauptite
Brochantite
Cacoxenite
Calcite
Cassiterite
Cerussite
Chalcanthite
Chalcocite
Chalcophyllite
Chalcopyrite
Chrysocolla
Clinochlore
Cobaltite
Conichalcite
Connellite
Copper
Corundum
Cosalite
Covellite
Cubanite
Cuprite
var: Chalcotrichite
Devilline
Digenite
Duftite
Epidote
Epsomite
Euchroite ?
'Feldspar Group'
Gahnite
Galena
'Garnet'
Goethite
Gold
var: Electrum
Goslarite
Goudeyite
Gypsum
Halite
'Halloysite'
Hematite
Hemimorphite
Hydrozincite
Ilmenite
Kaolinite
Langite
Lepidocrocite
Libethenite
'Limonite'
Linarite
Mackinawite
Magnetite
Malachite
Manganite
Marcasite
Melanterite
var: Cuprian Melanterite
Meneghinite
Mercury
Mimetite
Molybdenite
Montmorillonite
Muscovite
Olivenite
Opal
Orthoserpierite (TL)
Pearceite
Plancheite
Polybasite
Pseudomalachite
'Psilomelane'
Pyrite
Pyrolusite ?
Pyrrhotite
Quartz
var: Chalcedony
Rosasite
Rutile
Scheelite
Serpierite
Siderite
Silver
Smithsonite
var: Cuprian Smithsonite
Sphalerite
Stannite
Stephanite
Sulphur
Tennantite
Tenorite
Tetrahedrite
Titanite
'Tourmaline'
Turquoise
Tyrolite
Vesuvianite
Wulfenite
Zálesíite
Zircon


125 entries listed. 110 valid minerals. 2 type localities (valid minerals).

The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

- Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 254.
- Poulain, P. (1997). "Chessy-les-Mines (69), France." International Association of Collectors of Slag Minerals, 7(2), 1-2.
- De Ascencao Guedes, R. (2003). "Les minéraux et les minéralogistes de Chessy-les-Mines." Le Règne Minéral, Hors Série(9), 46-85.

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