Wulfenite

specimen number:
4541123

location:
Erupcion Mine, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:
Choice thumbnail with prismatic caramel colored lustrous crystals of wulfenite coming off matrix. In good condition.

The Erupcion Mine, also known as the Ahumada Mine, is located in the Sierra de Los Lamentos of Chihuahua, Mexico, and is world-famous for its distinctive thick, tabular wulfenite crystals. Geologically, the deposit is a lead-zinc-silver replacement body hosted within Cretaceous limestones, where oxidizing solutions reacted with primary sulfide minerals. This process created large, open cavities filled with spectacular orange to butterscotch-colored wulfenite, often characterized by its unusual "caramel" or "butterscotch" thickness compared to the thin blades found at other localities. Historically, the deposit was discovered in the early 20th century, with major mining operations conducted by the Erupcion Mining Company and later the Ahumada Lead Company between 1915 and 1930. During this peak period, the mine was a prolific producer of lead ore, though it became legendary among mineralogists for the massive quantity of high-quality specimens it yielded. While large-scale commercial mining ended by the 1930s as the primary ore bodies were exhausted, the site has remained a target for specimen mining, cementing its status as one of the most iconic wulfenite localities in North America.

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