The Jacumba district is a gemstone and other industrial mineral producing area located in southeastern San Diego County and southwestern Imperial County; spanning approximately 10 miles (16 km) around the town of Jacumba, encompassing the southern end of the Jacumba mountains to the northeast, Carrizo Gorge, and the In-Ko-Pah mountains to the northwest.
Imperial County was formed in 1907 from the eastern portion of San Diego County, effectively splitting the historic Jacumba district into separate county jurisdictions.
In 1914, Merrill reported that 8.5 miles (13.6 km) northwest of Jacumba was the Crystal Gem mine, at which in a pegmatite dike, had been found pink and green beryl and essonite garnet.
Merrill also reported that 9.5 miles (15.2 km) east of Jacumba, near Mountain Springs, were deposits of essonite garnet in crystalline limestone associated with gneiss. Some fine gems were said to have been mined and marketed by the San Diego Gem Company under the name of "California hyacinth". Merrill noted that these mining claims were considered abandoned by 1914.
References
Kunz, G.F. (1905), Gems, jeweler's materials, and ornamental stones of California. California State Mining Bureau Bulletin 37: 152.
Merrill, F.J.H. (1914), Geology and Mineral Resources of San Diego and Imperial Counties: Gems, Lithia Minerals. California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, CA, California State Printing Office, December. Chapter 1: 61-110.
Mudoch, J. and Webb, R.W. (1948), Minerals of California, Bulletin 136. State of California, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mines: 70.
Weber, F.H. (1963), Geology and mineral resources of San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines and Geology, County Report 3: 101, 152.
Rynerson, F.J. (1967), Exploring and mining for Gems and Gold in the West. Happy Camp, California: Naturegraph Publishers, Inc., 204 pp.: 8, 20, 40, 48.
Sinkankas, J. (1997), Gemstones of North America. Vol. 3. Beryl; Spodumene; Tucson, Arizona: Geoscience Press Inc., 480pp.: 59-60, 433-434.
Fisher, J. (2002), Gem and rare-element pegmatites of southern California; Jacumba District. Mineralogical Record 33(5): 403-404.
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