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Etta Mine, Keystone, Keystone District, Pennington Co., South Dakota, USA

A lithium-niobium/tantalum-tin muscovite mine in pegmatite. Started in 1883. Owned by the Harney Peak Tin Co. This mine is famous for its huge crystals.

Originally exploited for muscovite in 1883, but acquired by the Harney Peak Tin Mining Company. Tin was never encountered in economic concentrations and the company collapsed by 1893 in "The Black Hills Tin Scandal".

Lithium (spodumene) mining commenced in 1898 and ceased in 1959. Over the years, the mine produced muscovite, niobium, tantalum, beryl and feldspar.



References:
Dana, E.S. (1892) System of Mineralogy, 6th. Edition, New York: 1088.

Rocks & Minerals: 10: 121-122, 146-147.

Rocks & Minerals: 57: 160.

Rocks & Minerals: 60: 110, 112.

Rocks & Minerals: 75(3): 156-169.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9506E0DB1338E533A25755C0A9649D94669FD7CF

http://giantcrystals.strahlen.org/america/etta.htm

"A History of Black Hills Pegmatites", Matrix Magazine, Volume 10, Number 3, Tom Loomis





Mineral List:
'Adularia'
Albite
var: Cleavelandite
Alluaudite
Almandine
Amblygonite
Andalusite
Apatite-(CaF)
var: Carbonate-rich Apatite-(CaF)
Arrojadite-(KFe)
Arsenolite
Arsenopyrite
Augelite
Autunite
Azurite
Baryte ?
Beryl
Biotite
Bismuth
Cacoxenite
Cassiterite
Cerussite
Chalcocite
Chalcopyrite
Chrysocolla
Columbite-(Fe)
'Columbite-Tantalite'
Corundum
Cuprocassiterite
Dufrénite
Elbaite
Epidote
Eucryptite
Ferrisicklerite
Frondelite
Galena
Goethite
Graphite
Heterosite
Hübnerite
Hureaulite
Ilmenite
Jahnsite-(CaMnMg)
Kaolinite
Kësterite
Laueite
Lepidolite
Libethenite
Lithiophilite
Löllingite
Ludlamite
Malachite
Microcline
Mitridatite
Molybdenite
Monazite-(Ce)
Montgomeryite
Montmorillonite
Muscovite
Mushistonite
Olivenite
Opal
Orthoclase
Petalite
Phosphosiderite
Pseudomalachite
Quartz
Rockbridgeite
Rutile
var: Strüverite

Scheelite
Schorl
Scorodite
Siderite
Sphalerite
Spinel
Spodumene
Stannite
Stewartite
Strengite
Strunzite
'Tapiolite'
Tavorite
Titanite
Todorokite
Torbernite
Triphylite
Triplite
Uraninite
Varlamoffite
Vivianite
Wolframite
Xanthoxenite
Zircon


93 entries listed. 82 valid minerals.

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Copyright © Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau 1993-2009. Jobs in South Dakota, USA Site Map. Locality, mineral & photograph data are the copyright of the individuals who submitted them.Further information contact the Site hosted & developed by Jolyon Ralph. Mindat.org is an online information resource dedicated to providing free mineralogical information to all. Mindat relies on the contributions of hundreds of members and supporters. If you would like to add information to improve the quality of our database, then click here to register. Current server date and time: 21st Nov 2009 21:05:30