New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

Mineral collectors utilize any number of resources for information when researching field localities. Online sites containing locality mineral lists are one of the more common and available of those tools. However, only a portion of these lists should be considered comprehensive. When uploading species information to lists (especially lesser-known localities) only collectable species or economic ore minerals tend to be listed. The associated species are often neglected. The author chose the Georgetown District, located in Grant County, New Mexico, east of Silver City to illustrate this trend. The District contains the area associated with three drainages: Shingle Canyon, Georgetown Canyon and Lampbright Draw, all tributary to the Mimbres River. Selected localities were visited one or more times and systematically sampled. The results are presented below.

Alhambra: Online minerals listed: Bromargyrite, cerussite, hemimorphite, Jarosite, plattnerite, vanadinite, wulfenite. New species for locality: Calcite, dolomite, descloizite, goethite, hydroniumjarosite, malachite, pyrolusite, quartz, willemite.

Barringer Incline: Online: No minerals listed. New species for locality: Cerussite, galena, goethite, hetaerolite, pyrite, quartz, smithsonite, sphalerite.

Edith Mine: Online minerals listed: Vanadinite. New species for locality: Calcite, goethite, hemimorphite, quartz.

Forgotten Group Shaft: Online minerals listed: Descloizite, hemimorphite, plattnerite, rosasite, willemite. New species for locality: Aurichalcite, calcite, cerussite, chrysocolla, dolomite, goethite, hydroniumjarosite, jarosite. Highway 152 Roadcut: Online: Locality not listed. New species for locality: Calcite, dolomite, limonite, quartz.

Leadville Mine: Online: Locality not listed. New species for locality: Anglesite, aragonite calcite, cerussite, dolomite, galena, minium, pyrite, quartz, vanadinite.

Maggie Shaft: Online: No minerals listed. New species for locality: Calcite, galena, goethite, hetaerolite, pyrite, quartz, smithsonite, sphalerite.

McNulty Mine: Online minerals listed: Vanadinite. New species for locality: Bromargyrite, calcite, cerussite, chrysocolla, galena, goethite, hemimorphite, quartz, willemite.

Naiad Queen Mine: Online minerals listed: Descloizite, hemimorphite, vanadinite. New species for locality: Bromargyrite, calcite, cerussite, chlorargyrite var: bromian, chrysocolla, dolomite, galena, hydroniumjarosite, jarosite, malachite, quartz, willemite, wulfenite.

Redbird Prospect: Online minerals listed: Vanadinite. New species for locality: Calcite, goethite, hemimorphite, quartz.

References:

1. Gibbs, R.B., January/February, 2008, Mines and Minerals of the Georgetown District, Grant County, New Mexico: Rocks and Minerals, vol. 83, no. 1, p. 34–43.
2. Lindgren, W., L. C. Graton, and C.H. Gordon, 1910, The Ore Deposits of New Mexico: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 68.
3. Lundwall, H.J., 1983, Pioneering in Territorial New Mexico, The Memoirs of H.B. Ailman: Silver City Museum Society, Silver City, New Mexico.
4. Mindat.org (online mineral data).