[Rockhounds] uninformed questions

[Andrew Turner]

Dennis,

A lot to digest there, but I'll give it a try.

Yes, we "kind of" know where most things are geologically/mineralogically in at least the US.  However, with much better technology, including gravity, LiDAR, drilling techniques, etc. as well as becoming much more efficient in being able to recover even small amounts of ore at cheaper costs, many of the areas (and depths) once thought unprofitable are now possible.  So, while we know where mineralization is and where massive ore deposits are for the most part, we are still opening up new areas and exploration has greatly increased.  The old timers did a great job finding the accessible stuff, so exploration is started there to get the better and deeper material.

A good example of this is the Tintic District (and nearby East Tintic) in UT.  This was the largest copper and gold district in the US and especially UT for numerous decades and even during times when Kennecott was in production.  The shafts got too deep (and hot, and the acidity was too high) and got more unsafe.  The cost of mining got way too high and well above what they were producing.  Fast forward many decades and this area is being drilled for exploration non-stop.  Companies believe there might be multiple porphyry copper deposits at depth (like 5000+ ft), but no one has found it yet despite some very promising leads.  Mining is still going on here for halloysite clay and materials (mostly dolomite) for the cement industry as well as minor gold.  The East Tintic District has undergone 2 ownership changes recently, but they restarted the Dragon Mine and are trying to restart the Trixie and other underground operations as the gold is still there.

Mineral specimen wise, it is a little different.  As new mines and areas open up, the prospect of more mineral specimens does as well.  Mine operators are getting much better in recognizing high quality mineral finds, and often at least try to get some out even if it is for just workers to collect.  This happened in Bingham, Utah with the large pyritohedrons that they put into a large pile.

Most of the minerals now being found are from old mines and prospects where there just wasn't an interest in the past.  Although massive large crystal deposits are unlikely to be found in new areas (they still come out of known districts and mines - see CA pegmatites, Red Cloud wulfenite, CO rhodochrosite, UT topaz/red beryl), the number of new minerals has greatly increased the past several years.

Couple of good examples - The deposits near Baker, CA have been known for a long time.  Mineral collecting at the Blue Bell Mine has always been strong, and you can still easily find nice linarite, caledonite, dioptase, tsumebite, etc. with a little effort.  However, in the past 5-10 years, several very rare minerals and even new minerals (native silver, bluebellite, perite, murdochite, plumbophyllite, plumbotsumite, etc.) have been found as new areas were explored and micro mineral collecting has become more popular.  Nearby, the Otto Mountain area was found when Dr. Housley was stuck in traffic and noticed an old adit in the hillside.  Fast forward 20 years, and a whole bunch of very rare new tellurium minerals (and others) have been found.

Tintic is another good example.  We've collected at the main mines that still have tailings for some time.  However, some members of my club (when I was out on a field project, long story) started to explore some of the more extract old mines in the area.  They uncovered a small portion of a large, mostly untouched, tailings pile that had boulders containing the best eurekadumpite, raisite, and several other minerals ever found.  Several new minerals have also been discovered there.  Although I haven't found the incredibly rare stuff there, I have well over 100 eurekadumpite pieces now and they are far better than the ones found from the nearby type locality (Centennial Eureka Mine).

We were given permission to go underground in the old Hidden Treasure Mine in Ophir, UT.  At about 1,000 ft depth, there is a small deposit of some very rare cadmium minerals.  There is an amorphous blue mineral there, but I was able to find the first crystallized specimen.  After multiple analyses, including from the LA County Nat. History Museum, it was determined to be royal blue ktenisite, but many of us still question that.

Hope this helps.  Thanks.

Andrew Turner
Mineral Collectors of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT

________________________________
From: Rockhounds <rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com> on behalf of Dennis Buffenmyer <buff1 at ptd.net>
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2020 11:42 AM
To: Rockhound List <rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
Subject: [Rockhounds] uninformed questions

Now, bear in mind, I reside east of the mississippi. Perhaps that will
give you background in order to answer my two questions.

First, are we at a point yet where we fairly well know where everything
is geologically/mineralogically in north america?? How about all of the
americas?? The world??

Is there such a place where the "ore" has been removed, but there is the
potential of mineral specimens? How does one find out about such a
place?? I realize there are two different mining claims a patented and a
(?) , but how does one go about obtaining one??

Yea, I know, I am dreaming the dream.

Dennis Buffenmyer


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