Creedite

specimen number:
2262104

location:
Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:
Glassy gemmy purple crystals of creedite measuring to 2.0 cm in height coming nicely off matrix. In good condition and very choice for this Mexican classic.

The Santa Eulalia District, located in Chihuahua, Mexico, is one of the world's premier carbonate replacement deposits (CRD) and has been a continuous producer of silver, lead, and zinc for over three centuries. Geologically, the district is divided into the West Camp and the East Camp, where mineralization occurs as massive sulfide chimneys and mantos hosted within thick sequences of Cretaceous limestone. The East Camp, particularly the San Antonio Mine, is world-famous for producing exceptional specimens of purple creedite, a rare calcium aluminum sulfate-fluoride mineral that occurs as radiating sprays of gemmy, vivid violet to lilac-colored prismatic crystals within oxidized zones. Historically, mining and quarrying activities began in the early 1700s following the discovery of silver by Spanish explorers in 1703, leading to the official founding of the city of Chihuahua to support the district's massive output. Large-scale industrial operations intensified in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under companies like ASARCO and later Grupo Mexico, with production continuing through various phases of modernization. Today, Santa Eulalia remains an active mining center and a legendary locality for mineralogists through 2026, prized for its complex paragenesis and museum-quality secondary minerals.

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