Unnamed Amethyst 15

Past Producer in Artigas, Uruguay with commodity Gemstone
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10061856
MRDS ID TC34830
Record type Site
Current site name Unnamed Amethyst 15

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -56.23331, -30.70045 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 10000(meters)
Relative position Acc +/- 9 Min.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Artigas(province)

Uruguay(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Uruguay Artigas

Comments on the location information

  • SE OF ARTIGAS, EAST OF ROUTE 30, EAST ARROYO CATALAN GRANDE.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gemstone Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • GEODES ARE 10-50 CM IN DIAMETER, INTENSE VIOLET AMETHYST, CRYSTALS UP TO 1 CM, RHOMBOHEDRAL FORMS, PRISMATIC FORMS (MORE CLEAR COLORED BUT WITH HEAT BECOME CITRINES), INCLUSIONS OF CACOXENITE LOCALLY.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Agate Ore
Chalcedony Ore
Quartz Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Rock unit name Arapey Formation
    Rock description Arapey Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous

Nearby scientific data

(1) -56.23331, -30.70045

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • SECTION CONSISTS OF TOP TO BOTTOM 50 M OF PAHOEHOE BASALT (NO GEODES); 40 M VARIABLE BUT MAJOR PAHOEHOE (GEODES OF IRREGULAR FORM), 40-50 M AA (WELL DEVELOPED AMETHYST RICH GEODE ZONE); 6 M OF SAND DUNE SANDSTONES, 10 M + COLUMNAR BASALT AND PAHOEHOE BUT NO GEODES, SANDSTONES OF TACUAREMBO FM.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Significant No

Mining district

District name Los Catalanes

Comments on the production information

  • GEODE DISTRIBUTION IS NOT HOMOGENEOUS; FOR EVERY 1000 CUBIC METERS REMOVED, GET BETWEEN 700 AND 7000 KG OF AMETHYST. NUMBERS ARE FOR LOS CATALENES DISTRICT. INACTIVE PRODDUCTION IN 1987.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • RESERVES ARE FOR ARTIGAS PROVINCE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BOSSI, JORGE, 1978, RECURSOS MINERALES DEL URUGUAY: ED. DANIEL ALJANATI, IMPRESORA REX S.A., MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY, 348 P

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Production

    BOSSI (1978).

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit FIVE GEODE TYPES: (1) BEGINS WITH THIN LAYER OF DELLESITE, MM-CM OF CHALCEDONY OF RED, GREEN COLORS, THAN AMETHYST (2) BEGINS WITH GREEN HYDROSILICATE, BANDED WHITE-GRAY CHALCEDONY, UNCOLORED QUARTZ, NO OPEN SPACE (3) AMETHYST WITH CALCITE MOLDS, LOCALLY CALCITE (4) BANDED AGATE (5) CHALCEDONY WITHOUT BANDS FILLING GEODE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-92 Page, Norman J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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