Wulfenite with Calcite

specimen number:
2262058

location:
Erupcion Mine, Los Lamentos, Chihuahua, Mexico

description:
Classic Mexican specimen with bright caramel colored lustrous blocky crystals of wulfenite measuring to 1.3 cm in size aesthetic across the top of a calcite crystal covered matrix. Some damage present as seen.

The Erupcion Mine, located in the Los Lamentos Mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico, is world famous for its distinctive and aesthetic wulfenite specimens. Geologically, the deposit is a carbonate-hosted lead-zinc-silver replacement deposit (manto) where hydrothermal fluids interacted with Cretaceous-aged limestones to form rich ore bodies. During the oxidation of these primary ores, spectacular wulfenite crystals developed, characterized by their unique thick, blocky, and tabular habits with colors ranging from bright orange to butterscotch yellow. Unlike the thin, bladed crystals found in other localities, Los Lamentos wulfenites are prized for their substantial thickness and lustrous faces. Historically, the mine was first developed in the early 1900s, with its most significant period of industrial production occurring between 1915 and 1930 under various operators, including the Ahumada Lead Company. While large-scale commercial mining ended by the mid-20th century, the site remained a legendary destination for mineral collectors for decades. Today, the Erupcion-Ahumada system is considered a classic Mexican locality, represented in nearly every major museum collection by its iconic, chunky orange wulfenite crystals.

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