Artinite pit, Picacho Peak, New Idria District, Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California, USAi
Regional Level Types | |
---|---|
Artinite pit | Pit |
Picacho Peak | Peak |
New Idria District | Mining District |
Diablo Range | Mountain Range |
San Benito Co. | County |
California | State |
USA | Country |
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.

Key
Lock Map
Location is approximate, estimate based on other nearby localities. | |
---|---|
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84): | 36° North , 120° West (est.) |
Margin of Error: | ~26km |
Locality type: | Pit |
Köppen climate type: | Csb : Warm-summer Mediterranean climate |
A serpentinite deposit with significant mineral specimen potential located in the Clear Creek area.
The locality consisted of an open cut in which serpentinized rocks were exposed. These rocks were often broken up, and the trick to collecting the artinite specimens was to dig them out to expose them and use a bar to pry them apart. Balls of white hemispheres of prismatic artinite crystals would grow on the altered surfaces of the spaces between these breccia blocks. Because the surfaces of these blocks were often somewhat altered, it was often possible to just break off the surface crust with the white Artinite balls still attached. The Artinite was frequently associated with tiny white balls of Hydromagnesite and occasional druses of orange Desautelsite. Upon long exposure, the Desautelsite became somewhat brown. The locality has produced some of the best specimens of artinite known. [Rock Currier 2010]
Regions containing this locality
North America Plate | Tectonic Plate |
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Strunz Dana Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
5 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
ⓘ Aragonite Formula: CaCO3 Reference: Si Frazier specimen |
ⓘ Artinite Formula: Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O Reference: www.benitoitemine.com / Cisneros, S.L.; Witkowski, R.E. & Oswald, D.L. (1977): Artinite from San Benito County, California. Mineralogical Record 8, 457-460 |
ⓘ Desautelsite Formula: Mg6Mn3+2(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O Reference: www.benitoitemine.com |
ⓘ Dypingite Formula: Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O Reference: www.benitoitemine.com/ Cisneros, S.L.; Witkowski, R.E. & Oswald, D.L. (1977): Artinite from San Benito County, California. Mineralogical Record 8, 457-460 |
ⓘ Hydromagnesite Formula: Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O Reference: Rolf Luetcke |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
---|---|---|---|
ⓘ | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
ⓘ | Artinite | 5.DA.10 | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
ⓘ | Desautelsite | 5.DA.50 | Mg6Mn3+2(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
ⓘ | Dypingite | 5.DA.05 | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
ⓘ | Hydromagnesite | 5.DA.05 | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
List of minerals arranged by Dana 8th Edition classification
Group 16b - HYDRATED CARBONATES CONTAINING HYDROXYL OR HALOGEN | |||
---|---|---|---|
ⓘ | Artinite | 16b.3.1.1 | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
ⓘ | Desautelsite | 16b.6.2.4 | Mg6Mn3+2(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
ⓘ | Dypingite | 16b.7.2.1 | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
ⓘ | Hydromagnesite | 16b.7.1.1 | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
Unclassified Minerals, Mixtures, etc. | |||
ⓘ | Aragonite | - | CaCO3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
H | Hydrogen | |
---|---|---|
H | ⓘ Dypingite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
H | ⓘ Desautelsite | Mg6Mn23+(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
H | ⓘ Artinite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
H | ⓘ Hydromagnesite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
C | Carbon | |
C | ⓘ Dypingite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
C | ⓘ Desautelsite | Mg6Mn23+(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
C | ⓘ Artinite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
C | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
C | ⓘ Hydromagnesite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
O | Oxygen | |
O | ⓘ Dypingite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
O | ⓘ Desautelsite | Mg6Mn23+(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
O | ⓘ Artinite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
O | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
O | ⓘ Hydromagnesite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
Mg | Magnesium | |
Mg | ⓘ Dypingite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 5H2O |
Mg | ⓘ Desautelsite | Mg6Mn23+(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
Mg | ⓘ Artinite | Mg2(CO3)(OH)2 · 3H2O |
Mg | ⓘ Hydromagnesite | Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
Ca | Calcium | |
Ca | ⓘ Aragonite | CaCO3 |
Mn | Manganese | |
Mn | ⓘ Desautelsite | Mg6Mn23+(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
References
Sort by
Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)Cisneros, S.L., Witkowski, R.E, and Oswald, D.L. (1977) Artinite from San Benito County, California. Mineralogical Record: 8: 457-460.
External Links
www.benitoitemine.com
This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to
visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders
for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.
Artinite pit, Picacho Peak, New Idria District, Diablo Range, San Benito Co., California, USA