Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Sphalerite vs. Anorthite
Both zinc ore Sphalerite and calcium plagioclase feldspar Anorthite have perfect cleavage that will split cleanly if you hit them with a hammer, but only one can claim a larger split of your votes!
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Wheal Towan (Towan Consols), Porthtowan, St Agnes, Cornwall, England, UKi
Regional Level Types
Wheal Towan (Towan Consols)Mine (Abandoned)
PorthtowanHamlet
St AgnesCivil Parish
CornwallCounty
EnglandConstituent Country
UKCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
50° 17' 20'' North , 5° 13' 50'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
UK National Grid Reference:
SW699483
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2023
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Mount Hawke1,511 (2017)1.7km
Saint Agnes2,820 (2014)3.2km
North Country773 (2017)4.4km
Portreath963 (2017)5.2km
Redruth42,690 (2017)6.2km
Mindat Locality ID:
1178
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:1178:8
GUID (UUID V4):
0


An old and important copper mine, once one of the richest in Cornwall.

First mentioned by the name of Wh Sound, a mine at the western end of the set, that produced 9 tons of copper ore in 1756-57. By 1765 the group appears to have been known as Wh Towan. However, like a number of Cornish copper mines, Wh Towan suffered from the opening of the great Parys Mountain mines in Anglesey and remained idle between 1788-99.

From 1800 to June 1814, Wh Towan produced 37859 tons of copper ore selling for £470619.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.


Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

9 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

Arsenopyrite
Formula: FeAsS
References:
David Griffith collection.Identified by Paul De Bondt: Visual Identification
Cassiterite
Formula: SnO2
Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
'Chlorite Group'
Clinochlore
Formula: Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
References:
David Griffith collection.Identified by Paul De Bondt: Visual Identification
Galena
Formula: PbS
References:
David Griffith collection.Identified by Paul De Bondt: Visual Identification
'Limonite'
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Chalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Arsenopyrite2.EB.20FeAsS
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Cassiterite4.DB.05SnO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Siderite5.AB.05FeCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
Clinochlore9.EC.55Mg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Unclassified
'Chlorite Group'-
'Limonite'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
CCarbon
C SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
O CassiteriteSnO2
O ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
O QuartzSiO2
O SideriteFeCO3
MgMagnesium
Mg ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
AlAluminium
Al ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
SiSilicon
Si ClinochloreMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)8
Si QuartzSiO2
SSulfur
S ArsenopyriteFeAsS
S ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
S GalenaPbS
S PyriteFeS2
S SphaleriteZnS
FeIron
Fe ArsenopyriteFeAsS
Fe ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Fe PyriteFeS2
Fe SideriteFeCO3
CuCopper
Cu ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
ZnZinc
Zn SphaleriteZnS
AsArsenic
As ArsenopyriteFeAsS
SnTin
Sn CassiteriteSnO2
PbLead
Pb GalenaPbS

Geochronology

Geologic TimeRocks, Minerals and Events
Phanerozoic
 Paleozoic
  Permian
   Guadalupian
ⓘ Major polymetallic mineralization~270 MaCornwall, England, UK
   Cisuralian
ⓘ Porphyry dikes intruded (latest age)~275 MaCornwall, England, UK
ⓘ Greisenization (latest age)~280 MaCornwall, England, UK
ⓘ Porphyry dikes intruded (earliest age)~280 MaCornwall, England, UK
ⓘ Formation of metallized pegmatites~285 MaCornwall, England, UK
ⓘ Greisenization (earliest age)~285 MaCornwall, England, UK
ⓘ Emplacement of major plutons~295 MaCornwall, England, UK

Localities in this Region

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
EuropeContinent
UK

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

 
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