Wulfenite on Quartz, Red Cloud Mine, Silver Mining Dist., La Paz Co., Arizona, USA

Size: 7.1 x 6.6cm

Mineral: Wulfenite

Locality: Red Cloud Mine, Silver Mining Dist., La Paz Co., Arizona, USA

Description: This specimen features a large focal crystal of bright orange wulfenite perched nicely on top a contrasting dark grey druzy quartz matrix. . The wulfenite crystal is 2.7cm wide and features a nice right angle. Several smaller bright orange wulfenite crystals are scattered around the base of the dominant central crystal. The color and the luster for this specimen are both superb and represents some of the best available from this famous USA locality.

The Red Cloud Mine is located in La Paz county Arizona approximately 212 miles southwest of Phoenix. The mine has been operated sporadically since the 1880’s since it was discovered. The primary economic mineralization consists of silver, lead and minor gold however there is also zinc, vanadium, molybdenum, iron, copper, manganese, baryte, fluorite, tungsten present. The mine has been worked by both underground and open pit mining methods.

The mine has been worked more recently by commercial specimen collectors searching for these neon orange wulfenite crystals. Previous specimen operations were run by Ed Overs (1938) , Wayne Thompson (1995, 2014), Collectors Edge (2000), and others.

This particular specimen was collected in 2015 by Jimmie Dunn. Jimmie is a former professional climber well known for helping to popularize free climbing. Jimmie was hired due to his ability to climb into areas of the mine that no one else was able to.

The primary workings of the mine consist of a 700 foot inclined shaft with levels every 100 feet. This particular specimen comes from the deepest part of the underground workings at the 500 foot level. This particular specimen was sold to Evan Jones in a lot with a handful of other outstanding specimens by Wayne Thompson.