Anorthoclase (O-0010)
specimen number:
9273140
location:
Pili Mine, Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico
description: The Pili mine, located in the Saucillo Municipality near the border of La Cruz and Camargo municipalities in Chihuahua, Mexico, is a specialized mineral locality famous for producing unique feldspar specimens rather than commercial metal ore. Geologically, the deposit is hosted within Tertiary-aged alkaline volcanic rocks, where slow cooling and high-temperature conditions allowed for the crystallization of well-formed, blocky crystals of anorthoclase feldspar, a sodium-rich alkali feldspar variety. These crystals are celebrated for exhibiting a distinctive blue to silvery schiller effect, or adularescence, and are commonly found associated with dark, prismatic crystals of aegirine and augite within localized pockets and volcanic vugs. Small-scale specimen extraction at the site was conducted primarily during the 1980s and early 1990s by localized miners and mineral collectors who hand-dug the crystals from the volcanic host matrix. All organized specimen mining activities ceased by the late 1990s when the property became inactive and inaccessible due to its location within restricted land, leaving the site completely closed to public mineral collecting up through recent years.
Blocky semi lustrous gemmy crystals to 1.3 cm in size across the top matrix. These have a very attractive Moonstone perfect, but colorful as the piece is turned in the hand. In great condition.
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