Colorado, USA

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The eastern third of the state consists of the high plains and piedmont areas. These Tertiary and Cretaceous sedimentary rocks are not particularly mineralogically diverse, but have provided areas for oil production. Running north-south through the central portion of the state are the Rocky Mountains. Gold, silver, base metals were all important mineral products of this area of the state. In the southwestern portion of the state are large volcanic calderas that also have been important mineral producers in the San Juan Mountains. The western portion of the state consists of the plateau country consisting of sedimentary rocks. Mineral production in the southwest area was primarily for uranium and vanadium minerals while potash and oil shale are found in the northwest.

Mining became important with the discovery of gold in 1858.

The Front Range mineral belt is characterized throughout by base-metal ores containing appreciable amounts of silver and gold. Except for the eastward-trending tungsten belt between Nederland and Boulder, the ores in the mineral belt northeast of Idaho Springs have been chiefly valuable for their gold content. To the south,west the ores are chiefly valuable for their base-metal and silver contents, except in part of the Breckenridge and Tiger districts where gold is the most important metal.

Mineral List

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

Abernathyite Acanthite Actinolite Adamite Aegirine Aegirine-augite 'Aeschynite' Aeschynite-(Ce) Aeschynite-(Y) Aguilarite ? Aikinite Akaganeite Åkermanite Alabandite 'Alaskaite' Albite var: Andesine var: Cleavelandite var: Oligoclase var: Oligoclase-Albite 'Albite-Anorthite Series' Algodonite 'Allanite' Allanite-(Ce) Allanite-(Y) Allargentum Alleghanyite Allophane Alluaudite Almandine 'Almandine-Spessartine Series' Altaite Aluminite Aluminocopiapite Alum-(K) Alunite Alunogen Amblygonite Amesite 'Amphibole Group' var: Uralite Analcime Anatase 'Ancylite' Ancylite-(Ce) Andalusite Andersonite Andorite Andradite var: Melanite var: Topazolite Anglesite Anhydrite Ankerite Annabergite Annite Anorthite var: Bytownite var: Labradorite Anorthoclase Anthophyllite Antigorite Antimony Antlerite 'Apatite' 'var: Carbonate-rich Apatite' Apjohnite 'Apophyllite' Apophyllite-(KF) Aragonite var: Flos Ferri var: Plumboan Aragonite var: Zincian Aragonite Arfvedsonite Argentojarosite ? Argentopyrite Argentotennantite Argyrodite Arsenic Arseniosiderite Arsenolite Arsenopyrite 'Asbestos' 'Asphaltum' 'var: Uintahite' Astrophyllite Atacamite Augite var: Titanian Augite Aurichalcite Austinite var: Cuprian Austinite Autunite Azurite Baddeleyite Bariandite Bariopharmacosiderite Barnesite Barylite Baryte Barytocalcite Bassetite 'Bastnäsite' Bastnäsite-(Ce) Baumhauerite Bayldonite Bayleyite Bazzite Beaverite-(Cu) Becquerelite Beegerite Beidellite (TL) Benjaminite 'Bentonite' Berryite (TL) Berthierine Berthierite Bertrandite Beryl var: Aquamarine var: Goshenite var: Morganite var: Vorobyevite β-Uranophane Betekhtinite Beudantite Beusite Beyerite Bianchite Biotite var: Manganophyllite Birnessite Bismite Bismuth Bismuthinite Bismutite 'Bitumen' 'Blaubleibender Covellite' Blödite Böhmite ? Boltwoodite Bornite var: Argentiferous Bornite Boulangerite Bournonite Brackebuschite Brannerite Braunite Briartite Britholite-(Ce) Britholite-(Y) Brochantite Brockite (TL) Bromargyrite Brookite Brucite Brugnatellite Buckhornite (TL) Burbankite Burkeite Bustamite Butlerite Cacoxenite 'Calamine' Calaverite Calciosamarskite Calcite var: Ferroan Calcite var: Manganoan Calcite Calcjarlite Calderónite Caledonite Calomel Cameronite (TL) Cancrinite Canfieldite Carbonatecyanotrichite 'Carbonite (of Heinrich)' Carminite Carnallite Carnotite (TL) Carrollite Caryopilite Cassiterite Cattierite Cebollite (TL) Celadonite Celestine Cerianite-(Ce) Cerite-(Ce) Cerussite Cervelleite 'Chabazite' Chabazite-Ca Chalcanthite Chalcoalumite Chalcocite Chalcomenite Chalconatronite Chalcophanite Chalcophyllite ? Chalcopyrite Chalcosiderite Chalcostibite Chamosite var: Thuringite 'Charcoal' 'Chert' 'Chevkinite' Chlorargyrite var: Bromian Chlorargyrite 'Chlorite Group' Chloritoid Chondrodite Chromite Chrysoberyl Chrysocolla 'Chrysoprase' Chrysotile Cimolite Cinnabar Clausthalite 'Clay' Clinochalcomenite Clinochlore var: Pennine Clinohumite 'Clinoptilolite' 'Clinopyroxene Subgroup' Clinosafflorite Clinozoisite 'Coal' 'var: Anthracite' 'var: Bituminous Coal' 'var: Jet' Cobaltite Coesite Coffinite (TL) Coloradoite (TL) Columbite var: Titanocolumbite Columbite-(Fe) Columbite-(Mn) 'Columbite-Tantalite' Colusite Compreignacite Conichalcite Cookeite Copiapite Copper 'Copper Stain' Coquimbite Cordierite Corkite Cornetite ? Cornubite Coronadite Corrensite Corundum var: Sapphire Corvusite (TL) Cosalite Covellite Cowlesite

Crandallite Creedite (TL) Cristobalite Crossite Cryolite Cryptomelane Cubanite Cummingtonite Cuprite var: Chalcotrichite Cuprobismutite (TL) Cupropavonite (TL) Cuproroméite Cuprotungstite Curite Cyanotrichite Danalite Datolite ? Dawsonite Delrioite (TL) Descloizite var: Dechenite Devilline Diadochite Diamond Diaspore Dickite Digenite Diopside var: Chromian Diopside Djurleite Dolomite var: Ferroan Dolomite var: Manganoan Dolomite Doloresite (TL) Domeykite Dravite 'Dravite-Schorl Series' Dufrénoysite Duftite Dumontite Dumortierite Duttonite (TL) Dypingite Dyscrasite Eckermannite Edenite Elbaite Elpasolite (TL) Emmonsite Emplectite Empressite (TL) Enargite Enstatite var: Bronzite Epidote var: Withamite Epistilbite Epsomite 'Erionite' Erythrite Eskebornite ? Eskimoite Eucairite Euclase Euxenite-(Y) Famatinite Fayalite 'Feldspar Group' Felsőbányaite Ferberite 'Fergusonite' Fergusonite-(Y) Fernandinite Ferrihydrite Ferrimolybdite Ferrisicklerite Ferrohornblende Ferroselite Ferrotellurite (TL) Ferrotschermakite Fersmanite Fersmite Fervanite (TL) Fibroferrite Fizélyite 'Flint' Florencite-(Ce) 'Fluocerite' Fluocerite-(Ce) Fluorannite Fluorapatite var: Carbonate-rich Fluorapatite var: Mn-bearing Fluorapatite Fluorbritholite-(Ce) Fluorite var: Yttrocerite var: Yttrofluorite Fluorophlogopite Forsterite Fourmarierite Franklinite Freibergite Freieslebenite Friedelite Friedrichite Frohbergite Fülöppite 'Gadolinite' Gadolinite-(Ce) Gadolinite-(Y) Gahnite Galena var: Argentiferous Galena var: Selenian Galena Galenobismutite 'Garnet' 'Garnierite' Garronite Gearksutite Gedrite Gehlenite Genthelvite (TL) Geocronite 'Geode' Germanite Gersdorffite Gibbsite Glaucodot Glauconite Glaucophane ? Goethite Gold var: Electrum 'Gold Amalgam' Goldfieldite Gonnardite Goslarite Goyazite Graftonite Grantsite Graphite Grayite Greenockite Grossular var: Hessonite Grunerite Guettardite Guitermanite 'Gummite' Gunningite Gunnisonite Gunterite (TL) Gustavite Gypsum var: Alabaster var: Satin Spar Gypsum var: Selenite Häggite Halite Halloysite Halotrichite Hammarite Harmotome Hastingsite Hausmannite Haüyne Hawleyite Heazlewoodite Hedenbergite Helvite Hematite var: Martite var: Specularite Hemimorphite Hendersonite (TL) Hercynite Hessite Hetaerolite Heterosite 'Heterosite-Purpurite Series' 'Heulandite' Heulandite-Ca Heulandite-Na Hewettite Hexahydrite Heyrovskýite Hinsdalite (TL) Hisingerite Hodrušite Högbomite Hollandite 'Hornblende' 'var: Basaltic Hornblende' Hübnerite Hughesite Humite Hummerite (TL) Huntite Hyalophane Hydrobiotite Hydrohetaerolite (TL) Hydrokenoelsmoreite Hydromagnesite Hydroxylapatite var: Carbonate-rich Hydroxylapatite Hydrozincite Hypersthene Ianthinite Ice Idaite Iddingsite Ilesite (TL) Illite 'Illite-1M' 'Illite-1Md' 'Illite-2M' Ilmenite var: Picrotitanite Ilsemannite Ilvaite Inesite Iodargyrite Iranite Iridium Iriginite Iron Ishikawaite Ixiolite Jalpaite Jamesonite Jarosite Johannite var: Gilpinite Jordanite Jordisite Joséite-B Juanite (TL) Jurbanite ? Kaersutite Kainosite-(Y) Kalinite Kaolinite Kasolite Keystoneite (TL) 'K Feldspar' 'var: Adularia' Kieserite Kobellite Koechlinite Kogarkoite Kolwezite Konyaite Kostovite Koutekite Krennerite Krupkaite Ktenasite Kuramite Kutnohorite Kyanite Laihunite Lanarkite Langite

Lansfordite Lanthanite-(La) ? Laumontite Låvenite ? Lazulite Lazurite Lead Leadhillite Lepidocrocite Lepidolite Leucophosphite Leucoxene 'Lévyne' Lévyne-Ca Libethenite ? Liebigite Lillianite ? (TL) Limonite Linarite Litharge Lithiophilite 'Lithiophilite-Triphylite Series' Lizardite Löllingite Löweite Lueshite Luzonite Mackayite Maghemite Magnesio-arfvedsonite Magnesiochromite Magnesiocopiapite ? Magnesiohastingsite Magnesiohornblende Magnesioriebeckite 'Magnesioriebeckite-Riebeckite Series var: Crocidolite' Magnesite var: Ferroan Magnesite Magnetite var: Titaniferous Magnetite Magnolite (TL) Malachite Mallardite 'Manganese Oxides' 'var: Manganese Dendrites' Manganite Manjiroite Marcasite Marialite Mascagnite Massicot Matildite Maucherite Mawsonite Mazzettiite (TL) Mckinstryite Meionite Melanovanadite Melanterite var: Cuprian Melanterite 'Melilite' Melonite Mendozite Mercury Mesolite Meta-autunite Metadelrioite (TL) Metahewettite Metamunirite (TL) Metarossite (TL) Metasideronatrite Metatorbernite Metatyuyamunite (TL) Metauranocircite Metauranospinite Metazeunerite Miargyrite 'Mica Group' Microcline var: Amazonite Microlite Group Milarite Millerite Mimetite Minium Mirabilite Mixite Mogánite Molybdenite Molybdite Molybdomenite 'Monazite' Monazite-(Ce) Monazite-(Sm) Montanite ? Montebrasite Monticellite Montmorillonite Montroseite (TL) Mordenite Morenosite Mummeite (TL) Murataite-(Y) (TL) Muscovite var: Fuchsite var: Sericite Nacrite Nagyágite Nahcolite Namibite Natroalunite (TL) Natrojarosite Natrolite Natromontebrasite Natron Natroniobite Natrouranospinite Natrozippeite ? Navajoite Nepheline Nesquehonite Neyite Nickel Nickeline Nitratine Nontronite Nordstrandite Norsethite Northupite Nosean Novakite Nuffieldite 'Obsidian' 'Ochre' Offretite Olivenite 'Olivine' Omphacite 'Onegite' Opal var: Fire Opal var: Geyserite var: Moss Opal var: Opal-AN var: Opal-CT var: Wood Opal Orpiment Orthoclase Orthominasragrite 'Orthopyroxene Subgroup' Osarizawaite Ourayite (TL) Owyheeite Oxyplumboroméite Pachnolite Palladium ? Palygorskite Paragonite Paramontroseite (TL) Pararammelsbergite Paratacamite Paratellurite Pargasite 'Parisite' Parisite-(Ce) Parnauite Parsonsite Pascoite Pavonite Pearceite (TL) 'Pearceite-T2ac' Pentahydrite (TL) Pentlandite Periclase Perovskite Perryite (TL) 'Perthite' 'Petrified Wood' Petzite Pharmacosiderite Phenakite Phengite var: Mariposite 'Phillipsite' Phillipsite-Ca Phlogopite var: Ferroan Phlogopite Phosgenite Phosphosiderite Phosphuranylite Pickeringite Piemontite Pigeonite Pilsenite 'Pinite' Pintadoite Pirssonite ? Pitticite Plancheite Planerite ? 'Planerite-Turquoise Series' Platinum Plattnerite Plumbogummite Plumbojarosite Pollucite Polybasite Polybasite-Tac Polycrase-(Y) Polydymite Polylithionite Posnjakite Poughite Powellite Prehnite 'Prochlorite' Prosopite Protoferro-anthophyllite (TL) Proustite Pseudobrookite Pseudorutile 'Psilomelane' 'Pumice' 'Pumpellyite' Purpurite Pyrargyrite Pyrite var: Bravoite 'Pyrobitumen var: Thucholite' Pyrochlore Group var: Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al) Pyrochlore Supergroup var: Betafite (of Hogarth 1977) Pyrolusite Pyromorphite Pyrope Pyrophanite Pyrophyllite Pyrostilpnite 'Pyroxene Group' Pyroxmangite Pyrrhotite Quartz var: Agate var: Amethyst var: Basanite var: Bloodstone var: Carnelian var: Chalcedony var: Citrine var: Fairburn Agate var: Fortification Agate var: Jasper var: Milky Quartz var: Moss Agate var: Onyx var: Plume Agate var: Prase var: Rock Crystal var: Rose Quartz var: Rutilated Quartz var: Sardonyx var: Sceptre Quartz var: Smoky Quartz Rakovanite (TL)

Ralstonite Rammelsbergite Ramsdellite Rauvite Realgar Rectorite Renierite 'Rhabdophane' Rhabdophane-(Ce) Rhodochrosite Rhodonite Richterite Rickardite (TL) Riebeckite Rilandite (TL) 'Robellazite' Rockbridgeite Romanèchite Roméite Group var: Stibiconite Römerite Rosasite Roscoelite Rossite (TL) Rowlandite-(Y) ? Rozenite 'Ruby Silver Ore' Rucklidgeite ? Rutherfordine Rutile var: Ilmenorutile var: Niobian Rutile var: Strüverite Rynersonite Sabugalite Safflorite Saléeite Samarskite-(Y) Samarskite-(Yb) (TL) Sanidine Saponite Sapphirine Sartorite Sauconite 'Scapolite' var: Wernerite 'Schalenblende' Scheelite Schirmerite (TL) Schoepite Schorl Schorlomite Schreibersite Schröckingerite Schumacherite Schwertmannite Scolecite Scorodite Scorzalite Searlesite Selenium Seligmannite ? Sellaite Semseyite Senaite Sepiolite 'Serpentine Group' Serpierite Sherwoodite (TL) Shortite Sicklerite Siderite var: Manganoan Siderite var: Mg-rich Siderite var: Oligonite Siderophyllite (TL) Siderotil Sidwillite (TL) Siegenite Sillimanite Silver var: Amalgam Simplotite (TL) Sklodowskite Skutterudite var: Smaltite 'Smectite Group' Smithsonite var: Monheimite Smythite Sodalite Soddyite Sonoraite Spangolite Spessartine Sphalerite var: Marmatite Spinel Spionkopite Spodumene Stannite Starkeyite Staurolite Steigerite (TL) Stellerite Stephanite Sternbergite ? Stevensite Stibarsen Stibiocolumbite Stibiotantalite Stibnite 'Stilbite' Stilbite-Ca Stilpnomelane var: Ferristilpnomelane Strengite Stromeyerite Strontianite Struvite Stützite Sulphur Svanbergite Swartzite Sylvanite Sylvite 'Synchysite' Synchysite-(Ce) Synchysite-(Y) Szomolnokite Tainiolite Talc Tangeite Tantalite Tantalite-(Fe) Tantalite-(Mn) Tapiolite-(Fe) Tarbuttite ? Tellurantimony Tellurite Tellurium Tellurobismuthite Tengerite-(Y) ? Tennantite 'Tennantite-Tetrahedrite Series' Tenorite Tephroite Tetra-auricupride Tetradymite Tetrahedrite var: Argentian Tetrahedrite var: Mercurian Tetrahedrite var: Zincian Tetrahedrite Thalénite-(Y) Thaumasite ? Theisite (TL) Thenardite Thomsenolite 'Thomsonite' Thomsonite-Ca Thorianite Thorite var: Ferrithorite var: Uranothorite Thorogummite Titanite Todorokite Topaz Torbernite Törnebohmite-(Ce) 'Tourmaline' 'var: Indicolite' 'var: Rubellite' 'var: Verdelite' 'var: Watermelon Tourmaline' Treasurite (TL) Tremolite Tridymite Trilithionite Triphylite Triplite Troilite Trolleite Trona Tschermigite Tungstite Turgite Turquoise Tyuyamunite Ullmannite Ulvöspinel Umangite ? Upalite Uraninite var: Pitchblende Uranocircite Uranophane Uranopilite Uranospinite Uranpyrochlore Uvarovite Uvite Uytenbogaardtite Vanadinite Vandendriesscheite 'Vandiestite' Vanoxite (TL) Variscite Varlamoffite ? Vermiculite Vernadite Vésigniéite Vesuvianite Vikingite Villiaumite Violarite Vishnevite ? Vivianite Volborthite Volynskite Vulcanite (TL) 'Wad' Wagnerite Wairakite Wavellite Weberite Wegscheiderite Weissite (TL) Wellsite Willemite Winchite 'Winebergite' Wittichenite Wodginite ? Wolframite Wollastonite Wölsendorfite Woodhouseite Woodwardite Wulfenite Wurtzite Xanthoconite Xenotime-(Y) Yttrocolumbite-(Y) Yttrotantalite-(Y) Yukonite Zálesíite Zeolite Group Zeunerite Zincite ? Zincmelanterite (TL) Zincobotryogen Zincocopiapite Zincrosasite Zinkenite Zinnwaldite Zippeite Zircon var: Cyrtolite Zirkelite Zoisite var: Thulite Zunyite (TL) Zwieselite

1320 entries listed. 804 valid minerals. 59 type localities (valid minerals). 5 type localities (others). 1 erroneous literature entry.

Localities in this Region

USA Colorado Adams Co. Alamosa Co. Arapahoe Co. Archuleta Co. Baca Co. Bent Co. Boulder Co. Chaffee Co. Cheyenne Co. Clear Creek Co. Conejos Co. Costilla Co. Crowley Co. Custer Co. Delta Co. Denver Co. Dolores Co. Douglas Co. Eagle Co. El Paso Co. Elbert Co. Fremont Co. Garfield Co. Gilpin Co. Grand Co. Green River Formation Gunnison Co. Hinsdale Co. Huerfano Co. Jackson Co. Jefferson Co. Kiowa Co. Kit Carson Co.

USA Colorado La Plata Co. Lake Co. Larimer Co. Las Animas Co. Lincoln Co. Logan Co. Mesa Co. Mineral Co. Moffat Co. Montezuma Co. Montrose Co. Morgan Co. Otero Co. Ouray Co. Park and Teller Cos. Crystal Peak area Park Co. Pitkin Co. Prowers Co. Pueblo Co. Rio Blanco Co. Rio Grande Co. Routt Co. Saguache Co. San Juan Co. San Juan Mts San Luis Co. San Miguel Co. Sedgwick Co. Summit Co. Teller Co. Washington Co. Weld Co. Yuma Co.

References

External Links