Wulfenite

specimen number:
2062618

location:
San Francisco Mine, Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico

description:
Very fine miniature for this famous locality. A crystal grouping of lustrous translucent orange platy wulfenite crystals to 2.0 cm across perched aesthetically up on a small brecciated matrix with micro crystals of mimetite. This is in really good condition. The specimen comes with a previous label from the collection of Ray DeMark. He acquired the piece in the late 1970s.

The San Francisco Mine, located near Cucurpe and Magdalena de Kino in Sonora, Mexico, is a historic underground mine originally opened in the late 19th century for gold, silver, and molybdenum production. Geologically, the deposit sits within complex regional fault and replacement systems where hydrothermal fluids interacted with host sedimentary and volcanic rocks, later undergoing extensive oxidation that created rich secondary mineral zones. Mineralogically, the mine achieved legendary international status during specialized specimen mining in the 1970s, when deep underground pockets yielded what many consider the world-class standard for wulfenite. These specimens are prized for their paper-thin, transparent, windowpane-like tabular crystals ranging from brilliant yellow to vivid orange, frequently found in stunning aesthetic combination with contrasting red or orange mimetite spherules.

Questions about this specimen?
Send an email or call us: 314-341-1811.