New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

For years mineral collectors have passed many unique collecting sites in northern New Mexico en route to better-known locations in the south. Perhaps now is the time to explore this region.

An overview of the area presents missed opportunities, favorable current prospects, and future potential. Certainly, the collecting scene has diminished in some areas, for example, the uranium belt of northwestern New Mexico. During the active mining era from the 1950s until the early 1980s, specimens of uranophane, tyuyamunite, and other rarer species were easily obtained from the poor rock dumps of Todilto limestone at the Poison Canyon mines. Now, very little remains. Active mining at the San Pedro and Ortiz gold mines in Santa Fe County presented opportunities for collectors to obtain excellent scheelite crystals, Japan-law quartz crystals, superb large chalcopyrite crystals, and wonderful specimens of wire and crystallized gold. These mines are now closed.

Rather than dwelling on what has been lost, I would like to emphasize what is now available in northern New Mexico to the energetic field collector. Outstanding finds have recently come to light in the cliffs near Pilar and in the Harding mine area as a result of the efforts of Jesse Kline from Taos. Chrysoberyl, previously only reported from an obscure, small pegmatite just south of Colorado, and microcrystals from La Madera have been found in large numbers of excellent crystals as much as 2 cm across associated with euhedral beryl crystals more than 10 cm long from small pegmatites just northwest of the Harding mine. Gahnite and zoisite crystals have also been found in this area as well as specimens of margarite (see 1996 New Mexico Mineral Symposium abstract by DeMark and Kline; New Mexico Geology, v. 19, no. 1, p. 28 [1997]).

The Pilar cliffs are not recommended for collectors afraid of heights or out of shape; however, the area has recently revealed opportunities for the hardy collector. Jesse Kline has found highly lustrous schorl crystals high up the cliffs associated with garnets that have been altered to the iron silicate hisingerite. Attractive blades of an unusual gold kyanite in quartz and kyanite altered to andalusite have been collected recently. Some of the andalusite is the green variety viridine. Dravite, purple muscovite, and the chromian variety of muscovite, fuchsite, can also be found in these cliffs.

The Harding mine remains open to collecting with some limitations and prior approval from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences of the University of New Mexico. Excellent specimens of
pink muscovite and purple lepidolite along with spodumene laths are easily found. Massive beryl is common although difficult to recognize. The rare brittle mica, bityite, and the lithium amphibole, holmquistite, can also be found in the area. Microcrystals of microlite and zircon are common and, rarely, thorite, pucherite, bertrandite, and even elbaite do occur here.

Other northern mining districts have produced specimens in the past and offer opportunities even today. The Petaca district is well known for museum-quality columbite, manganocolumbite, monazite,
and beryl. Although mining has ceased, the dumps of the Nacimiento mine near Cuba still contain specimens of fossil wood replaced by chalcocite and azurite balls. Although currently restricted to active mining exploration, the Tungsten (Wichita) mine and Copper Hill in the Picuris district are worthy of collecting. It was determined recently that the brown, silky tourmaline found at the Tungsten mine is foitite, a recently described species. Wolframite, scheelite microcrystals, and conichalcite can also be found there. Coarsely bladed blue kyanite is common just east of the Tungsten mine on Copper Mountain.

The Rociada, Hopewell, Elk Mountain, and Tecolote districts along with the Valle Grande area are potential producers of high-quality specimens and minerals that would add to the mineralogical knowledge of the region. Approval to collect can be a problem, however. The owners of the Valle Grande in the Jemez Mountains have totally restricted access to the obsidian/cristobalite location once accessible with prior permission.

Not withstanding the prohibitions on collecting, there are vast areas in northern New Mexico open to the individual who will hike, climb, and persevere. Many significant discoveries have been made in the last couple of years and the next find is just over that far ridge.