Pala, Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA

• Display
  • Standard
  • Detailed
  • By Strunz Category
  • By Dana Category
  • Type Localities in Region
• Photos
  • Mineral Photos (640)
  • - Full View (620)
  • - Photomicrograph (13)
  • - Stacked Photomicrograph (2)
  • - Cut and Rough gem material (5)
  • Site Photos (226)
  • - Modern Site Photo (150)
  • - Historical Site Photo (69)
  • - Geological Cross-Section (3)
  • - Workings Cross-Section (2)
  • - Geological Map (1)
  • - Location Map (1)
  • Miscellaneous Photos (9)
  • - Personal Photo (1)
  • - Artwork (1)
  • - Miscellaneous (6)
  • - Mineral Cabinet or Display of Minerals (1)
  • Add Photo
• Maps
  • Map Pages
  • Nearest Localities
• Search
  • Mineral Search
  • Search Google

Summary:
The town of Pala, also referred to as the Pala Mission or Village of Pala, is the name of the town nearest to the gem-bearing pegmatite mines which are located in the nearby mountains to the north, east, and south. The town of Pala is not itself a specific mineral producing locality, except for a small-scale granite quarry which has operated for several decades on the west side of town. The mine produces gabbro and granodiorite riprap which is used locally along the roads for erosion control purposes.

The best known historical landmark in the town of Pala is the famous Mission San Antonio de Pala Asistencia campanile. Completed in 1818, the bell tower was rebuilt after collapsing during the floods of 1916. During the reconstruction of the original mission complex after the floods, several large pieces of deep purple lepidolite from the nearby Stewart mine were used in the surrounding courtyard walls as ornamental stone. The decorative lepidolite was donated by local gem miner and mineral dealer Frank A. Salmons, president and principal owner of the Pala Chief Mining Company.

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Albite var: Cleavelandite var: Oligoclase 'Albite-Anorthite Series' 'Allanite' Almandine 'Almandine-Spessartine Series' Amblygonite 'Amblygonite-Montebrasite Series' Andalusite Andradite 'Apatite' Arsenopyrite Bermanite Bertrandite Beryl var: Aquamarine var: Goshenite var: Heliodor var: Morganite Beyerite 'Biotite' Bismite Bismuth Bismuthinite Bismutite Bismutotantalite Bornite Cassiterite Chalcocite Chrysocolla 'Clay' Clinobisvanite Clinozoisite 'Columbite' Columbite-(Fe)

Columbite-(Mn) 'Columbite-Tantalite' Cookeite Digenite Elbaite 'Elbaite-Schorl Series' Epidote Eulytine Fairfieldite 'Feldspar Group' Fluorapatite Foitite Gahnite 'Garnet' Goethite Grossular var: Magnesian Grossular 'Halloysite' Halloysite-10Å Helvine Hematite Hercynite Heterosite 'Heulandite' Hopeite 'Hornblende' Hureaulite 'Hypersthene' Iron 'Jahnsite' Jahnsite-(MnMnMn) (TL) Kaolinite Laumontite Lepidolite Leucophosphite Lithiophilite

Löllingite Ludlamite Magnetite Malachite 'Manganese Oxides' 'var: Manganese Dendrites' Manganite Marcasite 'Mica Group' Microcline Microlite Group Molybdenite 'Monazite' Montebrasite Montmorillonite Muscovite var: Sericite Namibite 'Olivine' Opal Orthoclase 'Perthite' Petalite Phenakite Phosphosiderite Pollucite Pseudomalachite 'Psilomelane' Pucherite Purpurite Pyrite 'Pyroxene Group' Quartz var: Chalcedony var: Citrine var: Rock Crystal

Quartz var: Rose Quartz var: Smoky Quartz 'Salmonsite' Schorl Sicklerite (TL) Siderite Spessartine Spinel var: Pleonaste Spodumene var: Hiddenite var: Kunzite Stewartite (TL) Stibiotantalite 'Stilbite' Strengite Strunzite Swinefordite 'Tantalite' Tantalite-(Mn) Todorokite Topaz Tosudite var: Lithium Tosudite 'Tourmalinated Quartz' 'Tourmaline' 'var: Achroite' 'var: Indicolite' 'var: Rubellite' 'var: Verdelite' 'var: Watermelon Tourmaline' Triphylite Triplite Vivianite Wardite 'Zinnwaldite' Zircon

148 entries listed. 91 valid minerals. 3 type localities (valid minerals).

Localities in this Region

USA California San Diego Co. Pala District Pala Chief Mountain Blanket prospects Butterfly prospect Crystal King prospects Elizabeth R. Mine (Hazel W. claim) Hazel W. prospect Oceanview Mine (Oceanview adits) Poison Oak prospects Francis prospect Goddess Mine (Goddess prospect; MS 6452) East Knickerbocker prospect Jackpot Tunnel prospect (Butterfly prospect) Lower Salmons View prospect Margarita Mine Meadow prospects North End prospects Oceanview Mine (MS 6452; MS 6848; Ocean View mine) Elizabeth R. mine (Upper Elizabeth R. mine) Snipe prospect (Spar King deposit) Olla prospect Pala Chief Mine (Chief mine; MS 6452; Salmons mine) Chief Extension prospects Chief Ridge prospects Upper Salmons View prospect Redlands King prospect Redwing prospects (Redlands prospects; Redwings prospects) Verdant View prospect (Anita prospect) West Knickerbocker prospect Hiriart Mountain (Hariat Mtn; Harriot Mtn; Heriart Mtn; Heriot Mtn; Hiriat Hill) Anita Mine (MS 6859) Chaparral prospects (Chapparal prospects) Pluto prospect Spar Cut prospect Colton claim Dawson prospect El Molino Mine (El Molino pegmatite; MS 5391) Tizmo prospect Fargo Mine (MS 5391) Hiriart Mine (MS 5391) Center Drive prospect Hiriart prospects K. C. Naylor Mine (MS 5391; Naylor mine) Canyon prospect Katerina Mine (Ashley mine; Caterina mine; Catherin mine; Catherina mine; Katrina mine) Upper Katerina prospect Vanderberg-Katerina pegmatites (Vanderburg-Katerina dikes; Vanderburg-Katerina pegmatites)

USA California San Diego Co. Pala District Pala Hiriart Mountain (Hariat Mtn; Harriot Mtn; Heriart Mtn; Heriot Mtn; Hiriat Hill) San Pedro Mine (Pedro mine) Sempe Mine (Sempa mine; Senpa mine; Senpe mine) Buttercup prospects El Lobo prospects Snake Den prospects Spar Pocket Mine White King prospect Vanderberg Mine (MS 5391; Naylor Rock; Naylor-Vanderburg mine; Sickler group; Vandenburg mine; Vanderburg mine) Pala orbicular gabbro deposit Vanderberg-Katerina pegmatites (Vanderburg-Katerina dikes; Vanderburg-Katerina pegmatites) White Queen Mine (Queen mine; White Queen prospect) Little Chief Mountain Big Slope prospect Cliff prospects Little Chief prospects N. S. Weaver Ranch Unnamed REE prospect Pala Mountain Slice Mountain Magee Quarry (Allied Granite Co. quarry; McGee quarry; National Quarries quarry; Riverside Monumental Works quarry) Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala Mtn; Queen Mtn) Douglass Extension prospect Douglass Mine Ed Fletcher Jr. Mine (Ed Fletcher mine; MS 4886) Gem Star Mine (Gem Lepidolite mine; Labaugh mine; Loughbaugh mine) Green Cabin Mine (F. A. Salmons claim; Frank A. Salmons mine; Tourmaline Queen group) North Star mine Happy Hooligan prospect Homestake prospect (Home Stake prospect; Tourmaline Queen group) Maud prospects Mission Mine North Douglass prospect Pala Douglass Mine Pala King prospect (Spring Bank prospect; Tourmaline Queen group; Wedge prospect) Pala View Mine (Sholder-Trotter mine) Pasture prospect Stewart Extension prospect Stewart Mine (MS 6162; Stewart Lithia mine) Alvarado mine (Alvarado prospect) Little Joe adit Little Joe No. 2 adit (Joe 2 adit; Little Joe II adit) Tourmaline King Mine (Gem claim; King mine; MS 4500; MS 4926; Schuyler mine; Wilke mine) Emerald prospects (Upper Queen prospects) Tourmaline Queen Mine (MS 6458; Queen mine; Toumaline Queen group; Tourmaline Queen No. 1 claim; Tourmaline Queen No. 2 claim; Tourmaline Queen No. 3 claim) Queen Extension prospects West Canyon prospect (Freak prospect) White Cloud Mine (Buster Brown mine)