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Pacific Mine (Pacific Coast Borax Company properties; Borate; Borate Colemanite Mines; Calico; Old Borate; Pacific Coast Borax Co. workings), Calico, Calico District (Daggett District; Calico-Daggett area), Calico Mts (Calico Hills), San Bernardino County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Pacific Mine (Pacific Coast Borax Company properties; Borate; Borate Colemanite Mines; Calico; Old Borate; Pacific Coast Borax Co. workings)Mine
Calico- not defined -
Calico District (Daggett District; Calico-Daggett area)Mining District
Calico Mts (Calico Hills)Mountain Range
San Bernardino CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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PhotosMapsSearch
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
34° 57' North , 116° 49' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Barstow23,692 (2017)19.6km
Barstow Heights24,202 (2006)23.6km
Lenwood3,543 (2011)27.4km
Fort Irwin8,845 (2011)36.8km
Apple Valley72,174 (2017)60.2km
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
ClubLocationDistance
Mojave Desert Gem & Mineral SocietyBarstow, California20km
Mindat Locality ID:
26609
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:26609:8
GUID (UUID V4):
e6417dcb-b957-4df5-977c-41b51eebe180


A former borate-gypsum-Sr occurrence/mine located in secs. 18, 19 & 20, T10N, R2E, and in secs. 23, 24 & 25, T10N, R1E, SBM, 4.3 km (2.7 miles) E of Calico in the Calico Hills. Discovered in 1882. First production was in 1884. Owned by the Pacific Coast Borax Company (1907- ). Production years were 1884 to 1907. MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 500 meters.

Mineralization is hosted in the Fisset Brook Formation (lake sediments, shale, limestone). The ore body is 9.14 meters thick. Local rocks include Tertiary intrusive rocks (hypabyssal), unit 7 (Northern Mojave Desert) and/or Tertiary volcanic flow rocks, unit 16 (Northern Mojave Desert). This mine was the first underground mining of colemanite in the USA.

Borates occur as podiform and stratiform deposits. The pods occur below the bedded deposits. Five borate beds are exposed at the surface and range from 0.6 to 4.6 meters in thickness. The stratiform and podiform borates are separated by 15.2 meters of B-rich shale. Near the surface, colemanite has commonly been replaced by calcite. Local geologic structures include numerous faults. Sediments are severely folded.

Workings include underground openings. Many of the near-surface stopes have collapsed. The dumps are 18 to 21 meters high and several hundred meters wide. At one point, mining extended to a depth of 500 to 600 feet. The belt of borate workings extends 2.4 km.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

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

13 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

β“˜ Asbolane
Formula: (Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
β“˜ Bassanite
Formula: Ca(SO4) · 0.5H2O
β“˜ Boracite
Formula: Mg3(B7O13)Cl
Description: very rare microcrystals, with celestite
β“˜ Borax
Formula: Na2(B4O5)(OH)4 · 8H2O
β“˜ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
β“˜ Celestine
Formula: SrSO4
Colour: Light blue, colourless
Description: Occurs lining geodes in colemanite ore with strontianite. Crystals to 4 cm and as pseudomorphs after satin spar (gypsum).
β“˜ Colemanite
Formula: Ca[B3O4(OH)3] · H2O
Description: Occurs as nodules and geodes of crystals; also occurs massive.
References:
β“˜ Datolite
Formula: CaB(SiO4)(OH)
β“˜ Datolite var. Bakerite
Formula: Ca4(H5B5Si3O20)
β“˜ Fibroferrite
Formula: Fe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O
β“˜ Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
β“˜ Howlite
Formula: Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5
Habit: Thin platy
Colour: White
Description: Occurs as chalky white seams and nodules; occasionally as delicate thin platy crystals encrusting celestine.
β“˜ Strontianite
Formula: SrCO3
Colour: Yellow-brown
Description: Occurs lining geodes in colemanite ore and as drusy coatings in limestone.
β“˜ Ulexite
Formula: NaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
Description: Occurs lining cracks in andesite tuff along the contact of the tuff with the borate workings on the S side of the draw. As small "cotton balls" and fragile crusts on minute crystals in loose material on dumps.
β“˜ 'Wad'
Description: Occurs massive with gypsum in clay.
β“˜ 'Wad var. Cobalt-bearing Wad'
Description: Occurs massive with gypsum in clay.

Gallery:

Ca[B3O4(OH)3] · H2Oβ“˜ Colemanite

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
β“˜Asbolane4.FL.30(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 Β· nH2O
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
β“˜Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
β“˜Strontianite5.AB.15SrCO3
Group 6 - Borates
β“˜Colemanite6.CB.10Ca[B3O4(OH)3] Β· H2O
β“˜Howlite6.CB.20Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5
β“˜Borax6.DA.10Na2(B4O5)(OH)4 Β· 8H2O
β“˜Ulexite6.EA.25NaCa[B5O6(OH)6] Β· 5H2O
β“˜Boracite6.GA.05Mg3(B7O13)Cl
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
β“˜Celestine7.AD.35SrSO4
β“˜Gypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 Β· 2H2O
β“˜Bassanite7.CD.45Ca(SO4) Β· 0.5H2O
β“˜Fibroferrite7.DC.15Fe3+(SO4)(OH) Β· 5H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
β“˜Datolite
var. Bakerite
9.AJ.20Ca4(H5B5Si3O20)
β“˜9.AJ.20CaB(SiO4)(OH)
Unclassified
β“˜'Wad'-
β“˜'var. Cobalt-bearing Wad'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hβ“˜ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Hβ“˜ Datolite var. BakeriteCa4(H5B5Si3O20)
Hβ“˜ BassaniteCa(SO4) · 0.5H2O
Hβ“˜ BoraxNa2(B4O5)(OH)4 · 8H2O
Hβ“˜ ColemaniteCa[B3O4(OH)3] · H2O
Hβ“˜ DatoliteCaB(SiO4)(OH)
Hβ“˜ FibroferriteFe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O
Hβ“˜ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Hβ“˜ HowliteCa2B5SiO9(OH)5
Hβ“˜ UlexiteNaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
BBoron
Bβ“˜ Datolite var. BakeriteCa4(H5B5Si3O20)
Bβ“˜ BoraciteMg3(B7O13)Cl
Bβ“˜ BoraxNa2(B4O5)(OH)4 · 8H2O
Bβ“˜ ColemaniteCa[B3O4(OH)3] · H2O
Bβ“˜ DatoliteCaB(SiO4)(OH)
Bβ“˜ HowliteCa2B5SiO9(OH)5
Bβ“˜ UlexiteNaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
CCarbon
Cβ“˜ CalciteCaCO3
Cβ“˜ StrontianiteSrCO3
OOxygen
Oβ“˜ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
Oβ“˜ Datolite var. BakeriteCa4(H5B5Si3O20)
Oβ“˜ BassaniteCa(SO4) · 0.5H2O
Oβ“˜ BoraciteMg3(B7O13)Cl
Oβ“˜ BoraxNa2(B4O5)(OH)4 · 8H2O
Oβ“˜ CalciteCaCO3
Oβ“˜ CelestineSrSO4
Oβ“˜ ColemaniteCa[B3O4(OH)3] · H2O
Oβ“˜ DatoliteCaB(SiO4)(OH)
Oβ“˜ FibroferriteFe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O
Oβ“˜ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Oβ“˜ HowliteCa2B5SiO9(OH)5
Oβ“˜ StrontianiteSrCO3
Oβ“˜ UlexiteNaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
NaSodium
Naβ“˜ BoraxNa2(B4O5)(OH)4 · 8H2O
Naβ“˜ UlexiteNaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
MgMagnesium
Mgβ“˜ BoraciteMg3(B7O13)Cl
SiSilicon
Siβ“˜ Datolite var. BakeriteCa4(H5B5Si3O20)
Siβ“˜ DatoliteCaB(SiO4)(OH)
Siβ“˜ HowliteCa2B5SiO9(OH)5
SSulfur
Sβ“˜ BassaniteCa(SO4) · 0.5H2O
Sβ“˜ CelestineSrSO4
Sβ“˜ FibroferriteFe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O
Sβ“˜ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
ClChlorine
Clβ“˜ BoraciteMg3(B7O13)Cl
CaCalcium
Caβ“˜ Datolite var. BakeriteCa4(H5B5Si3O20)
Caβ“˜ BassaniteCa(SO4) · 0.5H2O
Caβ“˜ CalciteCaCO3
Caβ“˜ ColemaniteCa[B3O4(OH)3] · H2O
Caβ“˜ DatoliteCaB(SiO4)(OH)
Caβ“˜ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Caβ“˜ HowliteCa2B5SiO9(OH)5
Caβ“˜ UlexiteNaCa[B5O6(OH)6] · 5H2O
MnManganese
Mnβ“˜ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
FeIron
Feβ“˜ FibroferriteFe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O
CoCobalt
Coβ“˜ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
NiNickel
Niβ“˜ Asbolane(Ni,Co)2-xMn4+(O,OH)4 · nH2O
SrStrontium
Srβ“˜ CelestineSrSO4
Srβ“˜ StrontianiteSrCO3

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:10102220

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