Stilbite & Apophyllite in Drill Core (RARE New Mexico!) Kidwell Coll.

Item Description

A UNIQUE Zeolite Group specimen in a 2 inch CORE from the old Pinos Altos Mining District of New Mexico. Pearlescent Stilbite blades, to 1.3 cm, are aesthetically set in the sculptural vug lined with small sparkly, gemmy Apophyllite crystals. MINDAT does NOT list either species for the locale. The matrix is probably a quartz monzonite. Pinos Altos was first discovered as a placer Gold mining area in 1860, later vein gold followed by Copper-Zinc mining. Exxon Minerals acquired much of the area in the early 1970s, rediscovered ore in 1973 and drilled 213 diamond drill holes totalling 331,376 cumulative feet of drilling. See: https://www.mindat.org/loc-18452.html. This core is from Hole No. 40 at 1062 ft. Ex Al Kidwell Collection of Houston. Al was a well-known mineral collector and research geologist for Exxon. He passed away in 2008. The Phosphate Kidwellite is named for him. TRY to find another!!! A MUST for the species or locality collector.