February 28, 2025
Three minerals that are new to science were recently discovered in New Mexico. Specimens of each mineral can be seen on display at the New Mexico Mineral Museum at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (a research and service division of New Mexico Tech).
“Unlike the plant or animal kingdoms, which have millions of known species, the mineral kingdom has far fewer members,” said Senior Mineral Museum Curator Dr. John Rakovan. “Today, there are 5,998 known mineral species, but new minerals are being discovered every year.”
The three new minerals—raydemarkite, virgilluethite, and stunorthropite—were all discovered on Cookes Peak in Luna County and have been named in honor of prominent New Mexicans.
Raydemarkite was named for Ramon S. DeMark, a retired U.S. Navy aviation officer with a bachelor's degree in geology and a lifelong interest in mineral collecting. For the past 53 years, he has promoted and collected New Mexico minerals. Raydemarkite occurs as sprays of needle- or prism-shaped, colorless crystals.
Virgilluethite was named for Dr. Virgil W. Lueth, emeritus senior mineralogist/economic geologist from the New Mexico Bureau of Geology, who was director of the bureau’s Mineral Museum from 1994 to 2022 and is still active in mineralogy in New Mexico. Virgilluethite occurs in groups of yellow-green crystals with a platy, layered growth habit.
Stunorthropite was named for Dr. Stuart A. Northrop (1904–1994), a professor of geology at the University of New Mexico from 1928 to 1969. He is the author of Minerals of New Mexico, the most comprehensive work on our state’s mineralogy. First published in 1944, it has undergone several major revisions and is currently in its third edition. Stunorthropite is found as milky-white crystals that sometimes replace the yellow mineral sidwillite during formation.
Examples of these and many other minerals can be seen at the New Mexico Mineral Museum at the Bureau of Geology at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. The museum is open from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday and from 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturdays. For more information, contact Dr. John Rakovan at John.Rakovan@nmt.edu or 575-835-ROCK (7625).