Parasymplesite with Gypsum

specimen number:
2354308

location:
Ojuela Mine, Mapimi, Durango, Mexico

description:

A bluish gray spray of parasymplesite crystals 1.0 cm across set in a tight pocket within this limonite matrix. Colorless crystals of gypsum are present. In good condition and quite fine for the mineral.

The historic Ojuela Mine near Mapimi in Durango, Mexico, originally discovered by Spanish explorers in the late sixteenth century, is world-famous for its extensive underground workings, its iconic suspension bridge, and an immense oxidized zone that yielded vast quantities of silver, lead, and zinc. Geologically, the deposit sits within carbonate rocks where circulating groundwater heavily weathered primary sulfide ores, creating a legendary environment for rare secondary minerals. Among these treasures is parasymplesite, a scarce hydrated iron arsenate that forms striking blue-gray to greenish-blue radiating crystal clusters and silky aggregates within the weathered cavities of the mine.

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