Ech Noch's Photo Gallery

MEL-RJ8Quartz (Var: Amethyst) SiO₂ , Quartz (Var: Blue Quartz) SiO₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 7 cm x 6 cm x 1 cm
Field of View: 6.5 cm

Blue color in another slab of Quartz druzy that appears to show both the purple of the amethyst as well as the blue of what I presume are Magnesio-riebeckite inclusions.

X2K-481Quartz (Var: Blue Quartz) SiO₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 13 cm x 13 cm x 6 cm
Field of View: 13 cm

Blue color likely due to Magnesio-riebeckite inclusions within amethyst druze. Color seems to be homogeneous, there does not appear to be an underlying layer of chalcedony (see child photos for closeups and cross sections).

74F-HVXTremolite ◻Ca₂Mg₅(Si₈O₂₂)(OH)₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 15 cm x 5.5 cm x 4 cm

Fibrous and flaky, found several chunks of this material exposed in a road cut.

Screenshot of USGS Map

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Wagner, D.L., Jennings, C.W., Bedrossian, T.L., and Bortugno, E.J., 1981, Geologic map of the Sacramento quadrangle, California, 1:250,000, California Division of Mines and Geology, Regional Geologic Map RGM-1A, 1:250,000.

The map is not exactly accurate for this location as there is significant overlap of rock types and the meta-volcanics extend much farther and overlay the meta-sedimentary rocks.

Pzcc: Calaveras Complex (meta-sedimentary)
Pzcv: Calaveras Complex (volcanic rocks)
Um: Ultramafic rocks
Mzg: Mesozoic Granitic rocks
Tm: Merhten formation (Andesitic conglomerate, sandstone, and breccia)

REC-79GSchorl NaFe²⁺₃Al₆(Si₆O₁₈)(BO₃)₃(OH)₃(OH) , Muscovite KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 10 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm
Field of View: 6 cm

Mass of Schorl crystals with minor Muscovite. This Schorl occurs in pegmatite dikes that intruded the melange of meta-sedimentary, meta-Volcanic, and ultramaffic rocks.

629-HKJOpal (Var: Moss Opal) SiO₂·nH₂O

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 28 cm x 18 cm x 12 cm
Field of View: 13 cm

A freshly dug specimen of opal that was broken during extraction, so I took a quick photo of the striking color. The blue color is likely due to inclusions of Magnesio-riebeckite, the black is Chlorite with the tan appearing to be Rhyolite.

PL4-ND4Quartz (Var: Amethyst) SiO₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 5 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm
Field of View: 4.5 cm

Iron stained Amethyst druzy on limonitic serpentine with Muscovite and Chlorite.

View from top of occurrences.

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Panoramic photo of the area from the top of the occurences.

C76-7QLQuartz (Var: Amethyst) SiO₂

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 6 cm x 5.8 cm x 0.3 cm
Field of View: 6.7 cm

Amethyst druzy on Limonite. The amethyst has micro inclusions of Chlorite near its basal plane.

UL4-LXUOpal-A (Var: Opal-AN) SiO₂·nH₂O , Opal (Var: Common Opal) SiO₂·nH₂O , Hydromagnesite Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂·4H₂O

Chrysoprase and Moss Opal deposits, River Pines, Fiddletown Mining District, Amador County, California, USA

Dimensions: 28 cm x 15.2 cm x 10 cm
Field of View: 12 cm

Opal-(AN) on Limonite included common opal. The white fluoresces blue and is presumably Hydromagnesite. Child photo is under SW UV.