Fluorite

specimen number:
2282121

location:
Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico

description:
A loose cluster of gemmy purple naturally crystallized fluorite. Good thumbnail for the species from this locality. In good condition.

The Ojuela mine, located near Mapimi in Durango, Mexico, is a classic base-metal deposit situated within the Sierra de Mapimi, a major lead-zinc-silver mining area. Geologically, the deposit consists of complex, high-temperature carbonate replacement deposits (CRDs) and chimney-mantos structures hosted within Cretaceous-aged limestones, particularly the Aurora Formation. Hydrothermal mineralizing fluids ascended along deep-seated fault systems, replacing the host rock with massive sulfide deposits that were subsequently subjected to extensive, deep oxidation, forming a vast array of secondary arsenate and carbonate minerals in large underground cave systems and solution cavities. Underground mining operations at the site commenced shortly after its discovery by Spanish explorers in 1598, continuing intermittently through the colonial era. The modern industrial extraction period began in the late nineteenth century when the Compania Minera de Penoles acquired the property, constructing extensive underground haulage systems, a deep shaft network, and a suspension bridge in 1898. Primary commercial extraction of lead, zinc, and silver ores peaked during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries before declining in the 1930s, after which the property transitioned to small-scale lease operations and artisanal specimen mining that continue into the twenty-first century.

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