Andradite with Quartz

specimen number:
8701008

location:
El Mochito Mine, Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, Honduras

description:

An aesthetic grouping of lustrous slightly translucent andradite crystals with little attached matrix. In great condition, very fine for the locality and species.

The El Mochito Mine, located near the town of Las Vegas in the Santa Barbara Department of Honduras, is the largest and most significant underground mine in Central America. Geologically, it is a sophisticated skarn and chimney-style replacement deposit hosted within Cretaceous limestones of the Atima Formation, where mineralizing fluids associated with nearby igneous intrusions created rich zones of lead, zinc, and silver. The mine is mineralogically notable for producing well-formed crystals of andradite, a calcium-iron garnet, which often occurs in colors ranging from yellowish-green to dark brown or black within the silicated skarn zones. Historically, mining and quarrying activities at El Mochito began in earnest in 1948 under the New York and Honduras Rosario Mining Company. The operation has remained in nearly continuous production for over seven decades, passing through various corporate owners including Breakwater Resources and Nyrstar, and it continues to be a major economic driver for the region. While primarily an industrial metal producer, the mine has consistently provided high-quality specimens of garnets and sulfides for the scientific community.

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