Linarite on Galena with Fluorite

specimen number:
2062410

location:
Sunshine #1 Tunnel, Blanchard Mine, Socorro Co., New Mexico, USA

description:
A sharp cubic crystal of galena 1.3 cm on edge, this coated with beautiful bright blue crystallized linarite, all on a matrix of crystallized fluorite. This is in terrific condition. Minor brochantite present. Collected in 1987.

The Sunshine #1 Tunnel (or Adit) is part of the famous Blanchard Mine group within the Hansonburg mining district of the Oscura Mountains in Socorro County, New Mexico. While the broader Hansonburg district dates back to Spanish colonial times and saw intensive lead and fluorite prospecting starting in the early 1900s (with major production phases in the mid-20th century), specific underground tunnels like Sunshine #1 were later developed primarily for exploratory mining and mineral specimen recovery rather than large-scale industrial ore extraction. Exact individual closing dates for minor tunnels like Sunshine #1 are not formally documented in public historical records, as operations transitioned sporadically between private owners, lessees, and mineral collectors over the decades. Geologically, the deposit is situated within the Rio Grande Rift, where mineralized solutions filled open spaces, fault breccias, and solution cavities predominantly in the Pennsylvanian-aged Council Springs marine limestone. The underground workings are famous for yielding exceptional secondary copper and lead micro-minerals, including vibrant blue linarite, alongside classic fluorite, barite, and galena crystals.

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