Desert Messenger

22 www.DesertMessenger.com March 5, 2014 RICE RANCH SEASONAL MERCHANTS From Nov. 1 - Feb. 28 Owners CW & Doris Hamilton 928-927-4782 55 E. Kuehn Quartzsite, Arizona www.RiceRanch.biz 40 ACRE YEAR ROUND RV PARK VENDOR SPECIAL! FREE Space Rent for month of October, 2014* *Call Sean or Ann at 928-927-4782 for details By Jenn Jedidiah Free for RocksInMyHead™ To the north and east of Quartzsite is a beautiful moun- tain range called the Buckskins. This mountain range is part of the Harcuvar complex and is amaz- ingly rich in gold, silver, copper, and many other minerals. Several mining districts are located in this area, including some well known ones like Mineral Hill, Signal, and Swansea. Miners have been working this area since the 1860's and are still successfully pulling mineral rich ore from the Buck- skin Mountains today. The earliest known mining in the Buckskin Mountains was by Na- tive Americans who mined gold and copper near the areas now known as Mineral Hill and Planet Mine. Placer gold was also found throughout the entire region. The most well known mine of the area, the Planet Mine, was discovered in 1863 and produced copper, gold, and silver until 1937. Aside from gold, cop- per, and silver, the Buckskin Mountains produce an amazing assortment of other minerals. Mala- chite and azurite are two of the most beautiful. They are copper carbonate minerals, and are typically associated with copper de- posits. Malachite is more common than Azurite, though both are the result of the weathering of copper ores. Often malachite and azurite are too soft to be worked as a lapi- dary stone, however the Buckskin Mountains produce a gemmy and intensely colored azurite/mala- chite/chrysacolla silicate which takes a beautiful polish. Chrysacolla is a hydrous copper silicate that occurs in the oxidation zones of copper deposits. Basi- cally, that means it is ore contain- ing copper and silica that has been altered to the mineral Chrysacolla through contact with air and water. Chrysacolla is a rather common mineral in this copper-rich region of Arizona and is found in asso- ciation with Azurite, Malachite, and Cuprite. It is a surface mineral, which makes it an important indicator of copper deposits. Chrysacolla can also be found in ores of gold when copper is also present. These ore specimens are exceptionally beauti- ful. Several varieties of lapidary grade chrys- acolla come from the Buckskins, including a beautiful Chrysacolla in a reddish Rhyolite matrix. The Alamo Mining District of the Buckskins is rich in Manganese, Lead, and Iron as well as gold, silver and copper. A beautiful me- tallic green mineral occurs in this area, due to an unusual occurrence of a manganese +6 oxide called a magnate. The extra unpaired atoms in this oxidation variety cause the manganese to have a grayish-green color, rather than its characteristic grey, pink or purple. In addition to the manganese, the presence of chrysacolla, azurite, malachite, cuprite, and an iron py- rite in this mix adds to the beauty of this ore. Epidote and lead in the form of galena is present in this material as well. This gorgeous material is sometimes called Buck- skin Mountain Chrysacolla. Another location producing man- ganese ore of the green variety is the Cienega District of the Buck- skin Mountains where the Sue Manganese Mine is located. The Sue Mine produced very rich ores of copper, gold, silver, and man- ganese. The iron ores associated with this mine are hematite and pyrite, along with the copper ores of chrysacolla and malachite. The Sue Mine was worked sporadically from the 1860's to about 1963 and produced over 400 tons of ore. Other mines within the Buckskins such as The Signal Mine, Copper Prince, Swansea, and The Clara Mine also produced rich ores containing copper, gold, and silver, well into the 1940's. The Mineral Hill Mine operated between 1900 and 1970 and was reported to have produced nearly 1 million tons of ore containing gold, silver, and copper. The recently opened Cop- perstone Mine and several other mines are producing high grade ores from the Buckskin Mountains today. In addition to these larger mines, there are numerous small mines scattered throughout the Buckskin mountains, and many unexplored ore deposits known from Old Lore as "lost mines". Whether you are looking for pre- cious metals, gorgeous lapidary grade rough, or simply a day out enjoying history and amazing scenery, the Buckskin Mountains will reward you with riches and beauty. For more information on the Buckskin Mountains, as well as maps to Planet Mine and Mineral Hill, come to RocksInMy- Head, Rice Ranch, Space A37, in Quartzsite and the phone # is 605-376-8754. We are open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm through March and online year-round at www.Rock- sInMyHead.com. We have beau- tiful green "Buckskin Mountain Chrysacolla", Azurite/Malachite/ Chrysacolla silicate gem rough, and Chrysacolla in Rhyolite avail- able. We also have a full selection of rockhounding, prospecting and lapidary supplies, as well as lots of awesome rocks, fossils, minerals, and gemstones. The many colors of Buckskin ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS

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