Muscovite with Schorl

specimen number:
2133363

location:
Gisler Claim, Thompson Peak, Plumas Co., California, USA

description:
A cluster of muscovite crystals hosting thin black needles of schorl crystals. In good condition all around. Collected by Chuck Trantham in August, 2012.

The Gisler claim, situated on Thompson Peak within Plumas County, California, is a specialized mineral locality known for small-scale exploratory prospecting and specimen extraction rather than large-scale industrial quarrying. Geologically, the claim is located within Mesozoic granitic plutons, predominantly granodiorite, that form the core of the peak and host late-stage hydrothermal veins and localized pegmatitic bodies. These structures contain vein sections of massive crystalline material where volatile-rich fluids allowed for the development of lustrous, jet-black tourmaline (schorl) crystals and smoky quartz without significant rock matrix. Small-scale exploration, claim staking, and independent specimen mining at this specific site have been conducted sporadically from the mid-twentieth century through the early 2000s, with documented field collecting and minor extraction occurring around 2006 to supply mineral markets with regional display specimens.

Charles C. Trantham was a prominent California mineral collector, field collector, and geologist whose active field exploration spanned the mid-to-late 20th century. Professionally trained as an engineering geologist, he combined his formal scientific background with a deep passion for field mineralogy, leading him to explore and document numerous remote localities throughout California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest. He was widely recognized within the mineralogical community for his methodical approach to collecting, keeping meticulous records of his field discoveries, and assembling an extensive, highly regarded private collection of Western North American minerals. Trantham frequently contributed to the field by discovering or providing rare research material to academic mineralogists, and his legacy is preserved today through the high-quality specimens bearing his original handwritten labels that reside in major private collections and museum archives.

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