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Opal Queen Group Mine

Past Producer in Humboldt county in Nevada, United States with commodity Gemstone
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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. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Mining district
  14. Land status
  15. Ownership information
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10045024
MRDS ID M232676
Record type Site
Current site name Opal Queen Group Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -119.07158, 41.82987 (WGS84)
Elevation 1554

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Humboldt(county)

Nevada(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Virgin Valley(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Vya(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Vya(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Thousand-Virgin(hydrologic unit)

Black Rock Desert(hydrologic accounting unit)

Black Rock Desert-Humboldt(hydrologic subregion)

Great Basin(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Nevada Humboldt

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Mount Diablo 045N 026E 07,08 Nevada

Comments on the location information

  • 3 1/2 MILES S. FROM DUFFERENA SUB H-Q; THEN 1/2 MI. N.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gemstone Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Opal Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Montmorillonite Clay

Analytical data

Result PRECIOUS OPAL UP TO SEVERAL INCHES IN DIAMETER

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Siltstone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Volcanic Ash

Nearby scientific data

(1) -119.07158, 41.82987
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form BLANKET
    Thickness 1.83M

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE OPAL-BEARING HORIZON IS GREENISH, BENTONITIC AND CARRIES WOOD FRAGMENTS AND PEBBLES. THE HORIZON IS UP TO 6 FT. THICK. SLUMPING AND ROTATION OF BLOCKS MADE THE OPAL-BEARING HORIZON DIFFICULT TO TRACE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1908

Mining district

District name Virgin Valley District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Mitchell, Ed And Louise
    First year 1978

Comments on the production information

  • UNKNOWN AMOUNT

Comments on the workings information

  • 50 PITS AND TRENCHES

Comments on development

  • SEVEN CLAIMS, OF WHICH THE OPAL QUEEN, LOCATED IN 1908, MAY BE THE EARLIEST CLAIM IN THE DISTRICT. THE OTHER 6 WERE LOCATED BY THE MITCHELLS IN 1969-1970.

Reference information

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BENTONITIC ASH BED.
Deposit SEVEN CLAIMS, OF WHICH THE OPAL QUEEN CLAIM, LOCATED 1908, MAY BE THE EARLIEST CLAIM IN VIRGIN VALLEY. THE LUCKY LOU, MISERABLE MITCH, BELL, LE-BOB, BLACK BEAUTY, AND BEAUTIFUL OPAL CLAIMS WERE LOCATED BY THE MITCHELLS IN 1969 AND 1970. PRECIOUS OPAL HAS BEEN PRODUCED FROM THE PROPERTY FOR MANY YEARS. DEVELOPMENT IS BY ABOUT 50 PITS AND TRENCHES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE OBSCURED EARLIER WORKINGS. ; INFO.SRC : 2 UNPUB REPT
Deposit Discovery Year: 1908, 1969, 1970

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1981 La Pointe, D.D. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
Updater 01-MAY-1987 La Pointe, D.D. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Nevada resources

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