Eldorado Mine, Port Radium District, Great Bear Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories, Canada

Well-formed, untarnished bismuth crystals partly obscured by calcite scalenohedra. By an odd coincidence, both minerals crystallize in the same space group, and the forms depicted in calcite #10 appear to be a good match to those displayed by the bismuth in this view.

© Tony Peterson

Uraninite - a pitch black, solid and dense massive specimen associated with minor pyrite or chalcopyrite. One small edge has been sawn.

© Christopher O'Neill

Pitchblende - close-up of a black botyoidal pitchblende variety of uraninite within a mostly solid 3 x 3 cm pitchblende matrix. This specimen measures 300,000 cpm on a Ludlum Model 3 with 44-9 probe. See additional photo.

© Christopher O'Neill

Classic specimen of lustrous gray Acanthite crystals with Chalcopyrite on matrix! The largest crystal in the middle measures 1.8 cm in length! The remainder of this very rich Silver Sulfide is covered with smaller Acanthites and patches of iridescent Chalcopyrite. From the Eldorado Mine, Port Radium, Mackenzie District, Northwest Territories, ...

© Kevin Ward & exceptionalminerals.com

5.7 x 4.9 x 4.8 cm. Native bismuth specimens are rare from this well-known and closed Ag-Co-Ni-As-Bi-U district near the Arctic Circle. This very rich ore specimen features brilliant silver-metallic with some iridescent cleavable masses on all sides along with quartz. Hefty ore at 437grams or nearly a pound. Ex. Art Soregaroli Collection.

© Rob Lavinsky & irocks.com

Uraninite - a solid mass associated with colorful secondary uranuim mineralization. Originally obtained from Gilbert Labine, who discovered the Eldorado uranium mine. See additional photos.

© Christopher O'Neill

A 4.8 x 3.5 x 0.5 cm hackly mass of crystalline native silver, this richly scattered with masses of iridescent massive bornite. Ex Steve Pullman collection.

© Weinrich Minerals, Inc.

Uraninite - lustrous black and back has been sawn flat.

© Christopher O'Neill

Silver in uraninite with minor chalcopyrite.

© Reiner Mielke

A 4.8 x 3.5 x 0.5 cm hackly mass of crystalline native silver, this richly scattered with masses of iridescent massive bornite. Ex Steve Pullman collection.

© Weinrich Minerals, Inc.

Gold, rich thin veins with Altaite (XRD) in sheared quartzite. Collected by Prof. Fred Jolliffe (Queens's Univerity, Kingston,ON.) in the summer of 1937 before the Eldorado Mine was dug but after the campsite for the miners had been built, so the actual location is somewhere near the Eldorado campsite on the mine property. The Professor said it ...

© JR Montgomery

Close-up of secondary uranuim mineralization upon uraninite.

© Christopher O'Neill

Botryoidal pitchblende vein cutting heavily hematized albite rock. Number 7 vein, 272 stope. (see video) Ex. F.R. Hassard (1982) Doug Scott Collection

© JR Montgomery

Bismuth with minor silver veining in a calcite pod (naturally corroded) in a quartz vug. (see video) Surface sample from #1 vein, Eldorado Mine. Collected ≈1937 Doug Scott Collection

© JR Montgomery

Bismuth infilling space in coarse calcite. A thin rim of lead-grey bismuthinite(?) separates the two minerals.

© Tony Peterson

Bornite, richly disseminated in calcite with minor silver veining (small lumps of silver are visible in this photo if you no where to look) and trace chalcopyrite. (see video) From No. 5 vein, 256 stope, Eldorado Mine Ex. F.R. Hassard (1982) Doug Scott Collection

© JR Montgomery

Tennantite (XRD) massive with chalcopyrite and minor bornite. One sawn face shown in this photo where the black at the bottom is tennantite, the yellow is chalcopyrite and the thin black/purple band above and below the chalcopyrite is bornite. (see video) N0.3 vein, 1034 stope, Eldorado Mine. Ex. F.R. Hassard (1982) Doug Scott Collection * ...

© JR Montgomery

5.7 x 4.9 x 4.8 cm. Native bismuth specimens are rare from this well-known and closed Ag-Co-Ni-As-Bi-U district near the Arctic Circle. This very rich ore specimen features brilliant silver-metallic with some iridescent cleavable masses on all sides along with quartz. Hefty ore at 437grams or nearly a pound. Ex. Art Soregaroli Collection.

© Rob Lavinsky & irocks.com

Acanthite-coated chalcopyrite (super-tarnish chalcopyrite) heavily veined with silver. Everything black is a thin surface coating of acanthite on massive chalcopyrite and the yellow veinlets are all silver. (see video) #1 vein near surface (stope unknown #PR13) see T.T.Chen, J.E. Dutrizac, D.R. Owens & J.H.G. Laflamme, "Accelerated tarnishing of ...

© JR Montgomery

The specimen is composed of coarse calcite, which is cementing a breccia of a dark, fine-grained rock. cm-scale bismuth crystals filled in spaces in the calcite; they lack any crystal faces and have thin rims of bismuthinite. However, one end of the specimen has a portion of a pocket of calcite scalenohedra, obscuring a layer of well-formed ...

© Tony Peterson

At one end of this cabinet specimen, there is a breached pocket of clean calcite scalenohedra partly obscuring an underlying layer of splendid bismuth crystals, with very little tarnish.

© Tony Peterson

Stereo pair. Bismuth infilling space in coarse calcite. A thin rim of lead-grey bismuthinite(?) separates the two minerals.

© Tony Peterson

stereo pair. Well-formed, untarnished bismuth crystals partly obscured by calcite scalenohedra. By an odd coincidence, both minerals crystallize in the same space group. There are no crystal drawings of bismuth here on mindat for comparison, but the forms depicted in calcite #10 appear to be a good match to those displayed by the bismuth in this ...

© Tony Peterson

At one end of this cabinet specimen, there is a breached pocket of clean calcite scalenohedra partly obscuring an underlying layer of splendid bismuth crystals, with very little tarnish.

© Tony Peterson

Well-formed, untarnished bismuth crystals partly obscured by calcite scalenohedra. This is a nearly complete view of the breached pocket at one end of the specimen.

© Tony Peterson

The specimen is composed of coarse calcite, which is cementing a breccia of a dark, fine-grained rock. cm-scale bismuth crystals filled in spaces in the calcite; they lack any crystal faces and have thin rims of bismuthinite. However, one end of the specimen has a portion of a pocket of calcite scalenohedra, obscuring a layer of well-formed ...

© Tony Peterson

6.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm. A very hard-to-find specimen of actual crystallized native bismuth from the Eldorado Mine in Port Radium (near the Arctic Circle), Canada. Sharp, distinct, silvery colored, highly lustrous crystals can be seen sitting in the massive nickeline matrix on both sides of the specimen. The piece is accompanied by labels from noted ...

© Rob Lavinsky & MineralAuctions.com

Three floater bismuth crystals to 0.25 mm wide, attached to calcite crystals. Such small crystals are beyond my ability to image well but I thought the idea of floating bismuth crystals was too cool not to share. The black disks, etc. are unidentified.

© Tony Peterson

(reverse view of the same pocket in the parent photo). Well-formed, untarnished bismuth crystals partly obscured by calcite scalenohedra. By an odd coincidence, both minerals crystallize in the same space group. There are no crystal drawings of bismuth here on mindat for comparison, but the forms depicted in calcite #10 appear to be a good match ...

© Tony Peterson

Uraninite variety pitchblende, here showing a cut and polished surface. Eric Quinter specimen U/Th 0377.

© 2024 Harold Moritz

Uraninite variety pitchblende. Eric Quinter specimen U/Th 0378.

© 2024 Harold Moritz

6.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm. A very hard-to-find specimen of actual crystallized native bismuth from the Eldorado Mine in Port Radium (near the Arctic Circle), Canada. Sharp, distinct, silvery colored, highly lustrous crystals can be seen sitting in the massive nickeline matrix on both sides of the specimen. The piece is accompanied by labels from noted ...

© Rob Lavinsky & MineralAuctions.com

6.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm. A very hard-to-find specimen of actual crystallized native bismuth from the Eldorado Mine in Port Radium (near the Arctic Circle), Canada. Sharp, distinct, silvery colored, highly lustrous crystals can be seen sitting in the massive nickeline matrix on both sides of the specimen. The piece is accompanied by labels from noted ...

© Rob Lavinsky & MineralAuctions.com

6.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm. A very hard-to-find specimen of actual crystallized native bismuth from the Eldorado Mine in Port Radium (near the Arctic Circle), Canada. Sharp, distinct, silvery colored, highly lustrous crystals can be seen sitting in the massive nickeline matrix on both sides of the specimen. The piece is accompanied by labels from noted ...

© Rob Lavinsky & MineralAuctions.com

6.2 x 6.1 x 3.3 cm. A very hard-to-find specimen of actual crystallized native bismuth from the Eldorado Mine in Port Radium (near the Arctic Circle), Canada. Sharp, distinct, silvery colored, highly lustrous crystals can be seen sitting in the massive nickeline matrix on both sides of the specimen. The piece is accompanied by labels from noted ...

© Rob Lavinsky & MineralAuctions.com

Bismuth with minor silver veining in a calcite pod (naturally corroded) in a quartz vug. (see video) Surface sample from #1 vein, Eldorado Mine. Collected ≈1937 Doug Scott Collection

© JR Montgomery

This specimen consists of a solid mass of black Uraninite Var. Pitchblende with minor massive purple Fluorite and massive Chalcopyrite associated, from the historic Eldorado Mine in the Canadian Northwest Territories. Radioactivity is 90,000 cpm on a Radiacode 103 (Radiation Detector Scintillation Geiger Counter). Personal collection of Sharon ...

© Eugene & Sharon Cisneros