Artinite

specimen number:
2072058

location:
Artinite Pit, San Benito Co., California, USA

description:
Classic acicular white crystals of artinite covering the top of matrix. In good condition and quite nice for the species.

The Artinite Pit is located within the New Idria District of San Benito County, California, situated in the southern portion of the Diablo Range. This locality is part of a massive body of serpentinized ultramafic rock known as the New Idria Serpentinite Mass, which was pushed toward the surface during the tectonic uplift of the California Coast Ranges. Geologically, the site is dominated by magnesium-rich rocks that have undergone significant hydrothermal alteration and weathering. Artinite forms as a secondary mineral in veins and fractures within the fractured serpentine, typically precipitating from low-temperature magnesium-carbonate fluids. The Artinite Pit is world-famous among collectors for producing some of the finest known specimens of the species, which occur as delicate, snow-white, silky acicular crystals. These crystals often form radiating, spherical sprays or puffs that contrast beautifully against a darker greenish-black serpentine matrix. While the area has been associated with historic mercury and asbestos mining, the Artinite Pit itself is primarily celebrated in mineralogical literature for its aesthetic and high-quality magnesium carbonate specimens.

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