Vanadinite with Calcite

specimen number:
2102225

location:
Pure Potential Mine, La Paz Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Brilliant red lustrous crystals of vanadinite measuring to 0.3 cm in size on a matrix covered with white sparkling calcite crystals. In good condition with just slight micro-damage present. The color contrast makes this very attractive.

The Pure Potential Mine, originally known as the North Silver District and located in La Paz County, Arizona, is a celebrated locality for rare lead-molybdenum minerals. Geologically, the mine is situated within the southern Trigo Mountains and consists of low-temperature hydrothermal veins hosted in Precambrian metamorphic rocks and Tertiary volcanics. The mineralization is characterized by a complex oxidation zone where primary lead and molybdenum ores were altered into vivid secondary minerals, most notably vanadinite and wulfenite. Historically, the district saw its first mining activity in the late 1870s and 1880s, primarily targeting silver and lead. While early production was sporadic, the site gained significant fame in the mineral collecting community during the late 20th century. Between 1987 and the early 2000s, the mine was operated specifically for mineral specimen recovery, producing some of the finest bright red vanadinite and yellow-orange wulfenite crystals found in the American Southwest. Today, the mine is recognized more for these aesthetic treasures than its early industrial output.

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