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GeneralCalaverite ribbons?

4th Mar 2021 23:43 UTCAurum Williamson

01259750017062368533543.jpg

Hi everyone,

 

I picked up this interesting calaverite and fluorite specimen a couple of months ago. It looks to be part of a pocket but there is something strange with the calaverite. As you can see in the picture the calaverite enters the specimen as silver ribbons. As they enter the pocket they branch out like coral with some areas with a coating of purple fluorite. My question? Is this a typical crystal habit that calaverite forms?  I’ve scoured the web but can't find any specimen like this.

 

Thanks  

5th Mar 2021 00:53 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

I've never seen a calaverite that looks like this, but the matrix looks right for the Cresson Pit.  I suggest that you contact Dave Bunk to get his opinion.

5th Mar 2021 19:31 UTCFrancis X Dzubeck

Kevin

Why do you say Cresson Pit? This type of Calavarite is usually associated with the Gold Coin Mine in Victor, Colorado. If you look closely the purple crystals, they are not Fluorite bit Amethyst. In fact the entire matrix is Quartz some white some purple. This laminar crystal form usually is seen as a pseudomorph to Melonite from the same mine. Sylvanite also exists in the same laminar crystal form from the Doctor Mine on Ravel Hill and is in a Fluorite/Quartz matrix. Testing should determine the laminar crystal mineral as well as the matrix minerals.

Frank

6th Mar 2021 02:24 UTCKevin Conroy Manager

Francis, thank you for the information.   I've never seen a piece attributed to the Gold Coin Mine, and this is the kind of stuff that would/should be added to the locality page.   Do you happen to know of a reference that we could add.   Also, I saw that no minerals were listed for this mine, nor have any photos of them been posted.   Would you happen to have any that could be added?

EDIT - I've added some text, a reference and some minerals to the page: 

8th Mar 2021 20:51 UTCFrancis X Dzubeck

Kevin

Accuracy of Mineral labels with respect to the Cripple Creek area is an issue. Statistically there are more mines in the Victor Area than the Cripple Creek Area. Yet fewer documented specimens. The hills and gulches around and in Victor were populated with numerous working mines (
https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0254/report.pdf ) and their output was significant. That link will also tell you about the common mineralogy of the area. From a Historical perspective, the Gold coin mine was unusual. The Gold vein find was made while digging the foundation of the Hotel in downtown Victor (https://www.victorheritagesociety.com/gold-coin-mine--part-of-the-woods-empire.html).

I am Mineral Collector that at one time or another has had to decipher an old label with a hint to the locality and then use the Mineral Specimen matrix to narrow down the mine locality. Certain Gold areas were prone to mislabeling such as Cripple Creek in Colorado and Roşia Montanã in Romania. A great deal mislabeling for older specimens is the result of using the locality of seller rather than the locality of the mine. A classic example are Gold specimens labeled from Abrudbánya (Hungarian for Abrud) in Alba County, Romania. The last time anyone actually saw or mined Gold in Abrud was the 14th century. Abrud is the county seat and the headquarters/home of local Mine owners/management such as the Mines in Roşia Montanã (Verespatak in Hungarian) and  Bucium. No identity of any mines in Abrud can be found in any literature on mining in Alba County yet numerous Gold specimens exist even in photos on Mindat.

Please look closely at the matrix of this specimen, the matrix contains scalahedron crystals which would be very very rare for Fluorite. The reason I recommend testing is that the "Calaverite" may have pseudomorphed to Melonite which would mean that this is a very rich Melonite specimen.

Frank


9th Mar 2021 01:39 UTCRuggy Holloway 🌟

Looks more like Sylvanite  than Calaverite or Melonite

9th Mar 2021 14:12 UTCAurum Williamson

06498820017062368551901.jpg
Thanks for the response to this post. I guess I need to send it off to be tested, I attached a close-up picture of the lavender mineral. 
 
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