Calcite

specimen number:
2102424

location:
Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Lustrous crystallized grouping of calcite without matrix. Complete all around and in good condition.

The Warren mining district at Bisbee, situated in the Mule Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona, ranks as one of the most productive base-metal deposits in American history. Geologically, the area features complexly faulted Paleozoic sedimentary sequences, particularly the Escabrosa and Martin limestones, which underwent intense intrusion by the Cretaceous-aged Sacramento Hill porphyry stock. This igneous activity triggered widespread hydrothermal alteration, forming extensive porphyry copper deposits along with massive, high-grade carbonate-replacement ore bodies rich in copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold. Following the initial discovery of mineralization by US Army scouts in 1877, formal commercial production commenced in September 1880 at the famed Copper Queen mine. Industrial operations expanded rapidly under corporate entities like Phelps Dodge, transitioning from labor-intensive underground mining to massive surface extraction at the Sacramento Pit in 1920 and the Lavender Pit in 1950. After nearly a century of continuous production that yielded over eight billion pounds of copper, declining ore grades and high operating costs led to the cessation of open-pit operations in late 1974 and the final closure of underground mining in 1975.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.