Andesite quarry, Kreimbach-Kaulbach, Lauterecken-Wolfstein, Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germanyi

Regional Level Types
Andesite quarry	Quarry (Repurposed)
Kreimbach-Kaulbach	Municipality
Lauterecken-Wolfstein	Collective Municipality
Kusel	District
Rhineland-Palatinate	State
Germany	Country

A large andesite quarry, closed since 2014, located immediately north of the district of Kreimbach. The quarry originally consisted of two parts, a southwestern part located directly behind the houses of Kreimbach and a northeastern part located next to the road to Morbach. The area in between consisted of softer material that was of no economic interest, which was only mined from around 2005 onwards and mostly dumped in a spoil heap.

Kreimbach became known far beyond the borders of the Palatinate for its occurence of excellent Greenockite crystals, which have always been very rare. In addition, excellent specimens of prehnite, pectolite, datolite and calcite were also found, as well as a number of other minerals, many of which were very attractive in appearance.

The mineralisation was very diverse and occurred in several phases. For example, older analcime crystals were pseudomorphised by pumpellyite. Or pectolite aggregates were displaced by quartz.

The following mineralisations were observed (list not exhaustive):
- Large fissures and fissure systems, which were mainly filled with creamy white calcite. They often contained druses with prehnite, pectolite, pumpellyite, julgoldite, albite, etc., and very beautiful and diversely crystallised calcites. In addition, there were sulphides such as chalcopyrite, galena and the rare greenockite. A very large fissure system of this kind could be traced over a period of about 30 years in the northeastern quarry. It ran roughly vertically, extended over several quarry levels and was always a popular destination for local collectors. Most of the mineral specimens from Kreimbach originate from this fissure system.

- Smaller fissures or lens-shaped fissure fillings, which (for instance) mainly contained datolite, or pectolite, or calcite and quartz, with only minor amounts of other minerals. Greenockite was also observed sporadically. Narrow fissures, which were almost completely free of minerals and mostly containing analcime and natrolite, were also observed.

- Pink, aplitic rocks that run through the andesite in veins or form small streaks. Occasionally, small miaroles containing magnetite, ilmenite and, rarely, baddeleyite were found in them.

- Large miaroles in the andesite, which were always surrounded by an aplitic rim. They were tubular, always vertically oriented and could reach enormous sizes. One such miarole, which was exposed in June 1993 on the 4th quarry floor, had a diameter of 40 cm and a height of 160 cm. It contained hundreds of pseudomorphs of pumpellyite after analcime crystals up to 3 cm in size and twinned calcite rhombohedrons.

(Hartmut Hensel, 2026, based on his own observations from 1989 to 2006, his own collection of material and observations by Benno Rahm.)


Note: The quarry is closed since January 2014 and currently used as a landfill. Access is prohibited.

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References