Barite with Quartz, Pyrrhotite

specimen number:
2292125

location:
Murray Mine, Elko Co., Nevada, USA

description:

Large blocky crystals of barite measuring to 2.0 cm in size, these on both sides of matrix with pyrrhotite. The entire specimen is coated with sugary sparkling micro quartz crystals. In great condition.

The Murray mine, located in the Jerritt Canyon district of Elko County, Nevada, was a major underground gold mining operation. Geologically, the deposit is a classic Carlin-type gold occurrence hosted within the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the Hanson Creek Formation and the Roberts Mountains Formation. Mineralization occurred when hydrothermal fluids migrated along structural faults, depositing submicron-sized, microcrystalline gold within arsenic-rich rims on pyrite grains, often accompanied by realgar, orpiment, stibnite, and barite. Underground mining operations at the Murray mine began around 1981 under a joint venture between Freeport Gold Company and FMC Gold. The mine utilized decline access and mechanized cut-and-fill methods to extract high-grade refractory gold ore, which was processed at the nearby Jerritt Canyon mill. Primary mining activity at the Murray deposit continued until its reserves were depleted and operations ceased in the early 2000s, though exploration and regional mining in the district have persisted under various operators.

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