Aragonite

specimen number:
2102204

location:
Pioche, Lincoln Co., Nevada, USA

description:
An attractive loose cluster of spiky white aragonite crystals. In good condition. Crystallized completely all around with no points of attachment.

The Pioche mining district, located in Lincoln County, Nevada, is one of the state's most storied silver-producing areas. Geologically, the district is characterized by a complex series of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, primarily the Cambrian Pioche Shale and Lyndon Limestone, which were faulted and intruded by Tertiary dikes. The ore bodies occurred as both high-grade silver-lead-zinc veins and bedded replacement deposits, with notable primary minerals including galena and sphalerite along with a variety of secondary oxidation minerals. Historically, the district was discovered in 1864, but it gained notoriety in the early 1870s for being one of the wildest and most violent camps in the American West. Major production occurred in two primary waves: an initial silver boom from 1869 to 1875, followed by a significant revival centered on lead and zinc mining from the early 1900s through the 1950s. The combined output of mines like the Combined Metals and Caselton established Pioche as a major industrial center for decades. Today, while large-scale operations have ceased, the town remains a living museum of Nevada's mining heritage with iconic structures like the aerial tramway still standing.

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