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Collecting in Australia- click here to read more
Collecting in Australia, part 2-click here to read more!
Through special arrangement with my friend, Graham Fraser, these wonderful specimens
are now available in the USA. Australian fluorescent minerals from this source will only be sold by three American dealers.
If you do not see what you want on this site, please contact Mark Cole (Minershop) or William Gardner (Way-Too-Cool UV
Lamps)
To go directly to Mark Cole at Minershop click on the link below;
To go directly to William Gardner at Way-Too-Cool UV Lamps click
on the link below;
Way-Too-Cool UV Lamps
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Deposit Geology:
The Puttapa Zinc Mine
of South Australia by Mark Cole MinerShop
10/30/11. Edited to fit this space by Darwin Warriner. To
see the complete text, go to the Minershop web site.
A relatively unknown and obscure zinc deposit in a remote area
of the Australian Outback has recently become famous for producing dramatic fluorescent specimens of willemite mixed with
several other minerals. These pieces exhibit bright fluorescence, most with 4+ colors, extreme
phosphorescence, and wild patterns of color. Introduced to the market in limited quantities (first
shown at the annual FMS meeting during the 2011 Tucson Show) they have been a big hit.
The Puttapa deposit was first
mined in 1974. It has been known as the Beltana Mine, EZ Mine, the Pasminco mine, and currently the Perilya Beltana Mine.
Puttapa is an open-pit mine, located near the historic (and now ghost) town of Beltana, just south of a small coal-mining
town called Leigh Creek (pop. 549) and about 1,300 kilometers west of Sydney. Mining ceased there in January 2008 and all
the ore from this high-grade zinc silicate deposit was shipped directly to smelters. As of 2007, the total resource was estimated
to be 972,000 tons of ore. The mine is owned by Perilya and it is likely that they will resume mining in a couple of years
following the 2010 discovery of a large extension to the known ore body at North Moolooloo, a couple of miles from Puttapa.
North Moolooloo is very high-grade ore, estimated to contain 74,000 tons of recoverable zinc.
Zinc and lead-mineralized
rock is found throughout the Adelaide Geosyncline (a sedimentary basin formed in Proterozoic/Cambrian time). The Puttapa Deposit,
one of the highest-grade zinc deposits in the world, is situated in the northwestern part of this area, in the highly fossilferous
Wilkiwillina Limestone. The principal ore mineral is willemite, surrounded by an intense hematite-dolomite alteration halo.
Other major ore minerals found in the Beltana/Aroona/Puttapa deposits include smithsonite, coronadite, hedyphane, and mimetite.
The major gangue minerals are manganocalcite, dolomite and quartz. Willemite ore occurs as a white cement, lining large cavities
in a reddish clay/siltstone argillic matrix, as laminates embedded in this reddish siltstone, radiating clusters, zebra textures
and as a direct replacement of fossils and algae layers (often referred to as radiating willemite). Arsenic and lead are mostly
found in hedyphane, occurring as a greenish, coarse-grained replacement of cavity fillings and as white hexagonal crystals
(up to 1 cm) in cavities. Lead minerals in fractures and as void fillings seem to crosscut willemite. Calcite and dolomite
also crystallized in these cavities, along with hedyphane which is sometimes overgrown by calcite in the vugs. Coronadite
(a manganese mineral) occurs in veins and is the main Pb mineral in the matrix. (Formation of Willemite in Hydrothermal Environments,
Joel Brugger et all)
For a detailed study of the Beltana/Puttapa deposit visit: http://web.mac.com/minmetsol/iWeb/jbrugger/Research/Litterature/MyPapers/2003_Willemite_paper.pdf
MinDat presently lists 36 mineral species from this
locality while another list as many as fifty-two (but the larger number is a result of listing Adamite, Cuprian Adamite, etc.
These duplicate entries are not included). Combining the two lists results in 58 different species. Little has been done to
describe or identify the fluorescent minerals from the deposits.
For a list of all the minerals noted as found in
the Puttapa/Beltana deposits, go to MinDat and an article on fossicking at Puttapa (Fossicking for minerals at the Puttapa
Zinc Mine, South Australia- by Patrick C. Murphy & James N. Murphy)
Fluorescence
Very
little professional work has been done to identify the wild fluorescent colors found in specimens from Puttapa and the surrounding
mines. Willemite is fluorescent green but I have also seen a bluish/white fluorescence which may
also be willemite (under MW both the green areas and the blu/wht areas fluoresce a yellow color). So far, willemite is very phosphorescent.
Aragonite reportedly is fluorescent blue/white
in these pieces, but Hedyphane is also reported to fluoresce that color. Calcite
fluoresces a bright reddish/orange and might fluoresce a dark purple.
Some of the willemite fluoresces yellow under both
MW and LW (strongest under MW).
Often there are two colors of phosphorescence blue and green. Occasionally a third
color yellow is observed. The green and yellow is likely willemite, while the blue could be aragonite?
Other minerals from
the deposit not yet identified to be fluorescent, but are known to be fluorescent from other localities include: adamite,
barite, dolomite, hyalite, tilasite, sphalerite and probably several more.
Description of
a cross section of the Puttapa Deposit from Datametallogenica;
Three irregular bodies of aphanitic, brecciated,
hematite-pigmented willemite with bands, veinlets, breccias cement of white metacollofrom willemite and calcite, replacing
and infilling tectonic blocks of dolomitized Ajax Limestone; breccias-cementing and fracture-coating later stage Pb-Zn arsenates
(hedyphane, mimetite, etc.) and Mn hydro-oxides with Pb (coronadite).
Graham Fraser travels to the Puttapa Mine to collect
these fabulous minerals. To date he has made four visits to the area and has collected some world-class specimens. He has
not explored the pit as it has become unstable in numerous places and is off limits for everyone. However, the roads lined
with waste rock, are quite rich in specimens.
Contact me by email
to reserve your specimen. A new shipment is arriving soon and specimens may be spoken for in advance. There is no guarantee
as to the exact mineral content /combinations in the specimens but so far they are exciting and VERY LIMITED.
Reasonable offers considered. Mineral "Bundles" will be discounted.
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Puttapa Zinc Mine
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Aragonite, Willemite, Calcite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine,
an open pit mine part of the Beltana Mine complex(see text above). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback
about 1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
This choice, top shelf, specimen is exceptional under SW. The Willemite phosphorescence
is a long-lasting green. There is also an excellent and distinct white phosphorescence from Aragonite.
Other fluorescent minerals include Calcite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane.
Specimen is 1.25"x 1.65"x 2.35" and weighs 3.9oz.
Item Code: aus1008 $150.00
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Calcite and Hedyphane
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine (an open pit mine, part of the Beltana
Mine complex). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about 1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
Specimen is 1.25"x 1.70"x 1.75" and weighs 2.8oz.
Item Code aus1003 $50.00
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Calcite
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine (an open pit mine, part of the Beltana
Mine complex). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about 1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
Specimen is .75"x .85"x 1.5" and weighs 0.7 oz.
Item Code: aus1006 $30.00
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Calcite, Aragonite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane,
Willemite
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine, an open
pit mine part of the Beltana Mine complex(see text above). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about
1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
This choice, top shelf, specimen is exceptional under SW. The Willemite
phosphorescence is a long-lasting green. There is also an excellent and distinct white phosphorescence from Aragonite. Other fluorescent minerals include Calcite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane.
Specimen is 1.5"x 2.6"x 3.35" and weighs 8.3 oz.
VERY LIMITED SUPPLY!
Item Code; aus1010 $ 300.00
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Calcite, Aragonite, Sphalerite, Hedyphane, Willemite
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine, an open
pit mine part of the Beltana Mine complex(see text above). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about
1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
This choice, top shelf, specimen is exceptional under SW. The Willemite
phosphorescence is an outstanding long-lasting green. There is also an excellent and distinct white
phosphorescence from Aragonite. Alternating bands and veins of bright red Calcite,
green Willemite, white/salmon Aragonite. Traces of other fluorescent
minerals (colors) blend all over this specimen. Other fluorescent minerals include
Sphalerite and possibly Hedyphane.
Specimen is 1.50"x 2.85"x 3.85" and weighs 12.4 oz.
Item Code; aus1013 $250.00 Free shipping, US only
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Calcite, Aragonite and Willemite
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine, an open
pit mine part of the Beltana Mine complex(see text above). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about
1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
This choice, top shelf, specimen is exceptional under SW. The Calcite
is a blood red with numerous red veins running thru the white fluorescent and phosphorescent Aragonite. Incredible contrast between the red Calcite and the white Aragonite. Willemite
is a minor mineral with green fluorescence and a phosphorescence that is
a long-lasting green. Large cabinet size specimen won't last long. Shipping is free in the USA.
Specimen is 2.50"x 3"x 4.40" and weighs 1 pound 7 oz.
Item Code; aus1009 $350.00
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Calcite, Aragonite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane,
Willemite
This particular specimen is from the Puttapa Zinc mine, an open
pit mine part of the Beltana Mine complex(see text above). It is located in a remote area of the Australian Outback about
1,300 kilometers west of Sydney.
This choice, top shelf, specimen is exceptional under SW. The Willemite phosphorescence
is a long-lasting green. There is also an excellent and distinct white phosphorescence from Aragonite.
Other fluorescent minerals include Calcite, Sphalerite, Hydrozincite, Hedyphane.
Specimen is 1.5"x 1.5"x 3.25" and weighs 6.7oz.
Item Code; aus1011 $ 150.00
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Specimens to be listed SOON!
Contact me for more information and to reserve yours now!
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| Puttapa Mine, Australia Item code: aus1007 |
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| Puttapa Mine, Australia Item code: aus1008 |
CONTACT US AT:
OR
P.O. Box 494988 Redding, CA. 96049
*FREE SHIPPING ON MINERAL ORDERS
OF $150.00 OR MORE*
U.S.A. Only
Thank you for visiting, come back again soon.
All pictures on this web site are the property of Darwin Warriner aka Mineralman and
can not be used with out prior permission.
Contact me in writing if you wish to copy or use any pictures on this web site.
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