Oxydravite-1A

specimen number:
2354054

location:
Bald Hornet Claim, King Co., Washington, USA

description:
A fine thumbnail sized grouping of satiny crystals of oxydravite-1a. In great condition.

Located in the Snoqualmie Mining District along a ridge between Mount Si and Mount Teneriffe in King County, Washington, the historic Bald Hornet Claim features highly altered, sericitized granodiorite breccia formed within the Miocene Snoqualmie Batholith. Originally prospected as one of the earliest patented mining claims in the county and later frequented by amateur collectors for its notable quartz and Japan-law twin crystals, the site became famous in mineralogy when dark, fibrous tourmaline sprays found in quartz vugs were identified as luinaite-OH, a rare hydroxyl-dominant member of the tourmaline supergroup. Although scientific reexamination eventually discredited luinaite-OH as a distinct species, reclassifying the Bald Hornet material as a triclinic dimorph known as oxy-dravite-1A, the locality remains a celebrated classic among Pacific Northwest mineral enthusiasts and is now preserved within the Mount Si Natural Resource Conservation Area.

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