New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Northeastern New Mexico has long been known for its stark landscape, coal mines and Capulin Volcano but little which is of interest to the mineral collector. Tertiary age basaltic flows have resulted in vast mesas overlaying Mesozoic sediments which are irregularly punctuated by volcanic cones produced late in the extrusive sequence. While the region is certainly fascinating, it has previously been considered a highly implausible area for the occurrence of noteworthy mineral specimens.

Point of Rocks Mesa, a solitary landmark along the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail about twenty-four miles east of Springer, New Mexico, has now been revealed as a location of great interest to the mineral collector and mineralogist due to the occurrence of rare mineral species in free standing, euhedral crystals. Villiaumite, neptunite, ancylite, serandite and nepheline, as well as other species not previously-described from New Mexico, have been found in well-formed microcrystals in vugs that range from 2mm to 5 cm. The host rock is a peralkaline phonolite which forms the upper portion of the mesa. The mesa rises about 200 feet above the surrounding plains, and a quarry on the southwest side of the mesa has been particularly productive of well developed crystals. Due to the complexity of the mineralogy at Point of Rocks Mesa, it is anticipated that additional species new to New Mexico will come to light as investigations continue.