Anglesite

specimen number:
2063686

location:
Lavaderos Mine, Aconchi, Sonora, Mexico

description:
Sharp lustrous colorless crystals of anglesite measuring to 1.3 cm in size and aesthetically stacked coming off a small amount of matrix. There appears to be several generations of growth here, with the first anglesite crystal generation coated and goethite. A second-generation of colorless and translucent crystals are overlying this. In very good condition. Neat locality example for the species.

Located in the Aconchi Municipality of Sonora, Mexico, the historic Lavaderos Mine is set within the mineral-rich Sierra Madre Occidental, a region shaped by extensive Tertiary volcanic activity and subsequent hydrothermal mineralization. Miners originally targeted this lead-zinc-silver deposit during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, extracting primary sulfide ores from vein systems hosted in altered volcanic and carbonate rocks. As surface waters percolated through these upper vein zones, the primary lead sulfide weathered and oxidized to form secondary lead minerals, most notably high-grade anglesite. Collectors value the Lavaderos Mine for producing exceptional, well-crystallized anglesite specimens that often feature sharp, translucent to transparent, tabular or prismatic crystals resting on a iron-stained matrix. Although active mining operations at the site have long since ceased, specimens recovered during its operational peak remain highly regarded among mineral collectors for their superb crystal definition and historical context in Sonoran mining.

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