Vanadinite

specimen number:
2262087

location:
Erupcion Mine, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:
Lustrous prismatic crystals of vanadinite to 0.3 cm in size rich across the front of matrix. Some damage present. Still quite attractive.

The Erupcion Mine, also known as the Ahumada Mine, is located in the Los Lamentos District of Chihuahua, Mexico, and is renowned as a premier locality for oxidized lead minerals. Geologically, the deposit consists of a series of replacement chimneys and mantos hosted within Cretaceous limestone, where hydrothermal fluids created lead-zinc-silver ore bodies that were later extensively oxidized. The mine is world-famous for its vanadinite, which typically occurs as thick, hexagonal, tabular crystals with a brilliant sub-adamantine luster and a distinctive brownish-orange to deep "butterscotch" color. Historically, mining and quarrying at the site began in the early 20th century following the 1907 discovery of the ore bodies, with the most productive period of lead and silver extraction occurring between 1918 and the late 1930s. While industrial-scale operations ceased by the mid-20th century, the mine has remained a legendary source for mineral specimens, with various efforts to recover high-quality crystals continuing intermittently through 2026. The locality remains a global standard for the vanadinite species, prized by collectors for the size and structural perfection of its crystal habits.

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