Blue Gem Turquoise Mine

Past Producer in Lander county in Nevada, United States with commodity Gemstone
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10043989
MRDS ID M231302
Record type Site
Current site name Blue Gem Turquoise Mine
Alternate or previous names Pedro Claim, Turquoise Tunnel, Contention

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -117.03955, 40.61351 (WGS84)
Elevation 1762
Relative position 7 MILES WSW OF TOWN OF BATTLE MOUNTAIN

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lander(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Galena Canyon(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Winnemucca(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Reese(hydrologic unit)

Humboldt(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Lander

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 032N 044E 29 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • ON SLOPE EAST OF CONTENTION MINE

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gemstone Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • PYRITE & QUARTZ ASSOC. WITH TURQUOISE; LIMONITE CLAY MINERALS (MONTMORILLONITE, KAOLINITE, RICHELLITE) AS WELL AS A BUNDANT JAROSITE AND LIMONITE, ARE CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TURQUOISE.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Turquoise Ore
Jarosite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Montmorillonite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Pyrite Unknown

Alteration

  • (Local) Argillic

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock unit name Harmony Formation;Harmony Formation
    Rock description Harmony Formation;Harmony Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene

Nearby scientific data

(1) -117.03955, 40.61351

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Dewitt Thrust Fault
Type of structure Local
Structure description Shear Zone Trending N35w And N25e; Pebble Dikes

Ore body information

  • General form TABULAR
    Thickness 0.1M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Shear Zone, Breccia Zone 10ft. Wide

Comments on the geologic information

  • TURQUOISE FILLS VEINLETS FROM A FRACTION OF AN INCH TO 4 INCHES WIDE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1918
Year of first production 1937

Mining district

District name Battle Mountain District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Duval Corp.
  • Type Owner
    Owner Duval Corp. (Present)

Comments on the production information

  • EARLY PRODUCTION WAS REPORTED TO BE NEARLY ONE MILLION DOLLARS' WORTH OF GEM QUALITY TURQUOISE, PLUS 424 POUNDS PRODUCED IN 1937.

Comments on the workings information

  • EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS, OPEN STOPES AND GLORY HOLE

Comments on development

  • EXPLORED BY AMERICAN GEM CO. OF L.A. IN 1937. LEASED TO L. HAND AND A. LAYTON UNTIL 1953 WHEN KING BROS., OF NEW MEXICO PURCHASED IT. NOW IT IS ENCOMPASSED BY DUVAL'S OPEN-PIT MINE AT COPPER BASIN

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit VEINS, SECONDARY ENRICHMENTS
Deposit TURQUOISE WAS DISCOVERED HERE IN 1918, AND FIRST EXPLORED BY AMERICAN GEM CO. OF LOS ANGELES IN 1937, IN WHICH YEAR 424 LB. OF GEM TURQUOISE, VALUED AT $8480. WAS PRODUCED. L. HAND & A. LAYTON LEASED & MINED THE PROPERTY UNTIL 1953 WHEN KING BROS. OF NEW MEXICO PURCHASED IT. THE MINE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS AND OPEN STOPES, AND A GLORY HOLE. THE MINE IS NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF DUVAL'S OPEN PIT COPPER BASIN OPERATIONS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1980 Flynn, Patricia Dodd Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Authoritative Nevada resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.