Hubnerite

specimen number:
1052602

location:
Silverton, San Juan Co., Colorado, USA

description:

Lustrous bladed crystals of hubnerite throughout matrix. A good antique example from the late 19th century.complete all around, the specimen comes with an old label dating an original acquisition date of 1902.

The Silverton area, situated in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in San Juan County, Colorado, is famous for its complex polymetallic vein deposits. Geologically, the region is defined by the Silverton Caldera, a massive volcanic structure where hydrothermal activity during the Miocene epoch deposited rich ores in faults and fractures. While the district is primarily known for gold and silver, it also produces hubnerite, the manganese end-member of the wolframite series, which occurs as deep red to brownish-black bladed crystals in quartz veins. Historically, mining and quarrying activities in the area began in the early 1870s following the Brunot Treaty, with the town of Silverton becoming a major hub for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Hubnerite was notably produced from mines like the Sunnyside, the Adams, and the North Star during several periods, with significant tungsten production occurring during the world wars when the mineral was essential for hardening steel. Though most major industrial mining ceased with the closure of the Sunnyside Mine in 1991, the district remains a legendary destination for mineral collectors and a key site for studying volcanic-hosted epithermal systems through 2026.

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