Vanadinite

specimen number:
1052739

location:
Princess Mine, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Brilliant red crystals of vanadinite measuring to 0.4 cm in size across the front of matrix. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video. Note that this label gives the locality as the Red Cloud mine. I am quite sure that this is from the Princess mine which was nearby. The original acquisition date for the specimen was 1908.

The Princess mine, located in the central Dome Rock Mountains of La Paz County, Arizona, was a small-scale underground mining operation that targeted localized precious-metal and base-metal veins. Geologically, the deposit is situated within a structurally complex metamorphic terrain consisting of Proterozoic-age schists and gneisses that were fractured by Laramide-age tectonic events. Hydrothermal fluids traveling along these structural faults and shear zones deposited quartz veins containing primary galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrite, which subsequently underwent supergene oxidation near the surface to form a variety of secondary lead, copper, and iron minerals. Historically, localized prospecting at the site began during the regional gold and silver rushes of the late nineteenth century, but formal mining claims and underground shaft development were recorded primarily between the 1910s and the 1940s. The mine operated sporadically during this period, producing modest tonnages of lead and silver ore before economic shifts and wartime labor shortages led to its long-term abandonment.

Lazard Cahn (1865-1940) was a prominent American mineral dealer and self-taught crystallographer based in Colorado Springs who became one of the most respected figures in the field during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was widely recognized for his exceptional ability to identify rare species and for his meticulous study of crystal forms, eventually having the borate mineral cahnite named in his honor. Cahn operated a high-end mineral dealership that catered to major museums and elite private collectors, specializing in rare alpine minerals and classic American localities. His professional career was marked by significant contributions to mineralogical literature, including his work on the micromounting of specimens and his detailed descriptions of complex twinning laws.

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