Photo credit: Richard Wicker for the DMNS.ĭiamonds are formed from pure carbon, one of the most abundant elements on the planet. Amazonite with smoky quartz from the Smoky Hawk Mine in Teller County, Colorado. The Crystal Peak area between Woodland Park and Lake George is famous for its amazonite and other minerals, but it is now mostly private land or is claimed by private entities and cannot be accessed without permission. ![]() The granite provides the lead inclusions that color the microcline blue instead of pink. Colorado amazonite is special because it may be found as large, well-formed crystals, as opposed to the massive varieties found elsewhere. Much of Colorado’s amazonite can be found in the Pikes Peak granite. Photo credit: Mark Mauthner.Īmazonite is a variety of microcline feldspar that is usually blue or green. National Mining Hall of Fame Museum collection. Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park County, Colorado. Rhodochrosite, tetrahedrite, galena, chalcopyrite, quartz 14.3 cm across. The Sweet Home Mine was not successful as a silver mine, however, the large rhodochrosite crystals found in the fracture intersections. The granodiorite was intruded into the surrounding Proterozoic gneiss. The veins and fractures are hosted by a white Proterozoic biotite granodiorite that is heavily altered around the veins and fractures. The Sweet Home Mine is in Buckskin Gulch and was originally located as a silver mine in 1876. The mine has produced several world class specimens of rhodochrosite crystals. The Sweet Home Mine, a historic silver prospect, was reopened as a rhodochrosite gem mine in 1991 and subsequently closed and then reopened. Gem quality rhodochrosite is mined at the Sweet Home Mine in Park County. Antero, Teller County, with two elongate hexagonal crystals in a matrix of feldspar, mica, and smoky quartz, alongside a faceted stone. A typical specimen of aquamarine found on Mt. Much of the areas that contain aquamarine in outcrop is claimed by private entities and cannot be accessed without permission. The specimen minerals occur in pegmatites and cavities that mainly cut the Mount Antero Granite itself. The minerals occur in pegmatites within the Mount Antero Granite, the youngest of the igneous bodies on Mount Antero. Aquamarine is found with several other minerals such as smoky quartz in this area. The state gemstone is aquamarine which is a blue variety of the mineral beryl found on the upper slopes of Mt. Geological Survey in cooperation with the CGS (see page 69 for the gemstone discussion) called Development of Industrial Minerals in Colorado. A great summary of gemstones and other minerals found in Colorado published by the U.S. See the resources section of this page for references about these deposits. A few of the more important ones are discussed below. Agate, chalcedony, and jasper, three varieties of cryptocrystalline quartz, are also found in many places.Ĭolorado hosts several gemstone resources. Other notable gem-quality minerals that have been found in Colorado include garnet, tourmaline, lapis lazuli, quartz crystal, smokey and rose quartz, amethyst, turquoise, peridot, sapphire, and zircon. The largest faceted diamond sourced in the United States (16.87 carats) was found in Colorado. Gemstone quality rhodochrosite, the state mineral, is produced from the Sweet Home Mine located in Alma mining district, Park County. The official state gemstone is aquamarine, a beautiful blue mineral mostly found around the 13,000-foot (4,000 m) level on Mount Antero. ![]() Colorado has more than thirty varieties of gemstones including aquamarine, rhodochrosite, amazonite, topaz, and diamonds. Even diamonds must be cut into faceted shapes to really sparkle. Typically, they are cut and polished to bring out their natural beauty. ![]() Gemstones usually are minerals prized for their color, beauty, rarity, and endurance. A gemstone is any rock or mineral that may be used for ornamentation or jewelry.
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