Celestine with Strontianite

specimen number:
2133239

location:
Borate, San Bernardino Co., California, USA

description:
Neat locality example for both species with colorless gemmy crystals of Celestine measuring to almost 1.0 cm in length in an open pocket lined with crystallized strontianite. In good condition.

Borate, located in the Calico Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, was the premier source of borax in the United States during the late 19th century. Geologically, the deposit consists of thick beds of colemanite, a calcium borate mineral, hosted within the Miocene-aged Pickhandle and Calico Rock formations. These lacustrine sediments were enriched by volcanic activity, leading to the formation of massive crystalline layers of borate minerals. Historically, the site was discovered in 1882 and saw its most intensive mining period under the Pacific Coast Borax Company between 1890 and 1907. This operation was famous for the use of the iconic twenty-mule teams to transport the ore across the Mojave Desert to the railhead at Daggett before a narrow-gauge railroad was established. Commercial mining at Borate largely ceased in 1907 when production shifted to even larger and more accessible deposits in Death Valley and eventually Boron. Today, the site remains a significant historical landmark representing the early industrial development of California's mineral resources.

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