Vote for your favorite mineral in #MinCup26! - Cuprite vs. Orpiment
It's a fiery match of vibrant red Cuprite and just as saturated orange Orpiment battle for your votes!
Log InRegister
Quick Links : The Mindat ManualThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryMindat Newsletter [Free Download]
Home PageAbout MindatThe Mindat ManualHistory of MindatCopyright StatusWho We AreContact UsAdvertise on Mindat
Donate to MindatCorporate SponsorshipSponsor a PageSponsored PagesMindat AdvertisersAdvertise on Mindat
Learning CenterWhat is a mineral?The most common minerals on earthInformation for EducatorsMindat ArticlesThe ElementsThe Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryGeologic TimeExplore Fossils
Minerals by PropertiesMinerals by ChemistryMineral Visual ExplorerAdvanced Locality SearchRandom MineralRandom LocalitySearch by minIDLocalities Near MeSearch ArticlesSearch GlossaryMore Search Options
Search For:
Mineral Name:
Locality Name:
Keyword(s):
 
The Mindat ManualAdd a New PhotoRate PhotosLocality Edit ReportCoordinate Completion ReportAdd Glossary Item
Mining CompaniesStatisticsUsersMineral MuseumsClubs & OrganizationsMineral Shows & EventsThe Mindat DirectoryDevice SettingsThe Mineral QuizTime Machine
Photo SearchPhoto GalleriesSearch by ColorPhoto Colour ExplorerNew Photos TodayNew Photos YesterdayMembers' Photo GalleriesPast Photo of the Day GalleryPhotography

Surprise Occurrence (Elk Mine), Elk Park Area, San Juan County, Colorado, USAi
Regional Level Types
Surprise Occurrence (Elk Mine)Occurrence
Elk Park AreaArea
San Juan CountyCounty
ColoradoState
USACountry

This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
PhotosMapsSearch
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
37° 43' 60'' North , 107° 42' 0'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
37.73333,-107.70000
GRN:
N26W61
Type:
Occurrence
Köppen climate type:
Dfc : Subarctic climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Silverton637 (2011)9.3km
Ophir169 (2017)18.0km
Telluride2,399 (2018)24.7km
Mountain Village1,395 (2017)25.9km
Rico255 (2017)29.4km
Mindat Locality ID:
119082
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:119082:6
GUID (UUID V4):
0


REF:Deposit:: DMEA RECORDS
Deposit:: CONSV. DIV. COMP. DATE, 3, 64
Commodities (Major) - Uranium
Development Status: Occurrence
Deposit Model: 85: Polymetallic veins
Host Rock Unit: Gneiss And Schist Idaho Springs Formation

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


3 valid minerals.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘUraninite4.DL.05UO2
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘTorbernite8.EB.05Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘUranophane9.AK.15Ca(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ TorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
Hⓘ UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
OOxygen
Oⓘ TorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
Oⓘ UraniniteUO2
Oⓘ UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
SiSilicon
Siⓘ UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ TorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
CaCalcium
Caⓘ UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O
CuCopper
Cuⓘ TorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
UUranium
Uⓘ TorberniteCu(UO2)2(PO4)2 · 12H2O
Uⓘ UraniniteUO2
Uⓘ UranophaneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2 · 5H2O

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

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.
Quick NavTopCommoditiesMineral ListOther Regions
 
and/or  
Mindat.org® is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Mindat® and mindat.org® are registered trademarks of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2026, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph and Ida Chau.
Content on this site may not be used to train, fine-tune, or otherwise develop artificial intelligence or machine learning models without prior written permission - see our Terms & Conditions.
To cite: Ralph, J., Von Bargen, D., Martynov, P., Zhang, J., Que, X., Prabhu, A., Morrison, S. M., Li, W., Chen, W., & Ma, X. (2025). Mindat.org: The open access mineralogy database to accelerate data-intensive geoscience research. American Mineralogist, 110(6), 833–844. doi:10.2138/am-2024-9486.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: September 5, 2026 13:30:33 Page updated: August 25, 2025 18:13:43
Go to top of page