Molybdenite
specimen number:
2354198
location:
Urad Mine, Empire, Clear Creek Co., Colorado, USA
description: The Urad Mine, located near Empire in Clear Creek County, Colorado, sits within the historic Front Range mineral belt where Tertiary igneous intrusions invaded Precambrian metamorphic basement rocks. Magmatic hydrothermal systems generated extensive stockwork vein networks rich in molybdenum and associated sulfide mineralization. Commercial mining began during the First World War to supply molybdenum for steel hardening, continuing intermittently under various operators who developed underground workings into a major producer. Late twentieth-century re-evaluations shifted regional operations toward the nearby Henderson deposit, leading to modern reclamation efforts that stabilized tailings and addressed water quality, while mineral collectors still recognize the site historically for its fine molybdenite flakes, quartz crystals, and related secondary species.
Non-lustrous metallic gray massive molybdenite quite rich throughout this matrix. Good locality example for the species. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Jack Nieburger.
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