Barite (O-0045)

specimen number:
9273159

location:
San Diego Mine, Santa Barbara, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:

Beautiful glassy gemmy yellowish crystals of barite to almost 2.0 cm in size coming off matrix. In excellent condition.

The San Diego mine, located within the historic Santa Barbara mining district in southern Chihuahua, Mexico, is a key component of one of the oldest and most enduring polymetallic exploitation zones in North America. Geologically, the mine is situated along the western margin of the Central Mexican Plateau, where mineralization occurs as massive mesothermal and epithermal vein systems, breccias, and replacement bodies cutting through the Mesozoic-aged Parral Formation shales and siltstones. These structural faults host dense, high-grade concentrations of zinc, lead, and copper sulfides, accompanied by significant silver and gold byproducts. The history of the area began with Spanish colonial exploration and initial discoveries around 1547 to 1567, leading to early underground development. Commercial extraction at the specific San Diego unit accelerated around 1900 under foreign ownership, including operators like the San Diego Union Mining Company, before shifting through various consolidations over the 20th century. Today, the San Diego mine operates as an integrated part of the unified Santa Barbara mining complex managed by Grupo Mexico, maintaining deep-shaft underground extraction and continuous milling infrastructure well into the 21st century.

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