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Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USAi
Regional Level Types
Tuttletown Mining DistrictMining District
Tuolumne CountyCounty
CaliforniaState
USACountry

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07306370017272096774971.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
09975050017272096778364.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
07306370017272096774971.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
09975050017272096778364.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
07306370017272096774971.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
09975050017272096778364.jpg
Native Gold

Tarantula Mine, Tuttletown, Tuttletown Mining District, Tuolumne County, California, USA
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
38° North , 119° West (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~71km
GRN:
N26W68
Type:
Mining District
Köppen climate type:
Csb : Warm-summer Mediterranean climate
Mindat Locality ID:
250056
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:250056:3
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Location: This district is in the Mother Lode belt in northwestern Tuolumne County. The Carson Hill district lies to the north and the Jamestown-Rawhide district to the south. It includes the Jackass Hill and French Gulch areas.

History: The streams and rich surface placers were worked during the gold rush. The area was known as Mormon Gulch in 1848 but was renamed for Judge Anson H. Tuttle, who built the first log cabin there. The Gillis brothers came here from Virginia City and it was in their cabin that Mark Twain stayed for five months in 1864-65 and Bret Harte for a night. A replica of the Gillis cabin is now a tourist attraction. This area became a well-known pocket-mining district during the 1860s and was mined almost continuously until World War II. Some work has been done at the Gross and Street mine since then.

Geology and Ore Deposits: A northwest-trending belt of amphibolite traverses the central portion of the district. Phyllite and slate are to both the northeast and southwest and serpentine lies to the south. Although this district lies between the Carson Hill and Jamestown districts, where large ore bodies were mined, most of the output here has been from small, rich pockets. These pockets occur in quartz veins and stringers and contain native gold, abundant pyrite, galena, and tellurides. The country rock adjacent to the veins commonly contains disseminated pyrite and ankerite.

Mines: Albion Consolidated, Alta, Anti-Chinese, Arbona, Ball, Bown, Cardinelle, Chileno, Gagnere, Gross and Street, Marryatt, Norwegian ($200,000+), Patterson, Tarantula, Toledo.

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

17 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ Ankerite
Formula: Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Description: Occurs as an alteration product of schist.
ⓘ Bornite
Formula: Cu5FeS4
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Cinnabar
Formula: HgS
ⓘ Coloradoite
Formula: HgTe
ⓘ Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
ⓘ Galena
Formula: PbS
ⓘ Hessite
Formula: Ag2Te
ⓘ Magnesite
Formula: MgCO3
ⓘ Molybdenite
Formula: MoS2
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Description: Common in the gangue of gold ores locally.
ⓘ Muscovite var. Mariposite
Formula: K(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
Description: Common in the gangue of gold ores locally.
ⓘ Muscovite var. Phengite
Formula: KAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Description: Common in the gangue of gold ores locally.
ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Native Gold
Formula: Au
Localities: Reported from at least 41 localities in this region.
ⓘ Native Tellurium
Formula: Te
ⓘ Petzite
Formula: Ag3AuTe2
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Localities: Reported from at least 6 localities in this region.
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Localities: Reported from at least 10 localities in this region.

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
ⓘNative Gold1.AA.05Au
ⓘNative Tellurium1.CC.10Te
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘBornite2.BA.15Cu5FeS4
ⓘHessite2.BA.60Ag2Te
ⓘPetzite2.BA.75Ag3AuTe2
ⓘColoradoite2.CB.05aHgTe
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘCinnabar2.CD.15aHgS
ⓘMolybdenite2.EA.30MoS2
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘMagnesite5.AB.05MgCO3
ⓘAnkerite5.AB.10Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘDolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘMuscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘvar. Phengite9.EC.15KAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
ⓘvar. Sericite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘvar. Mariposite9.EC.15K(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
CCarbon
Cⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Cⓘ MagnesiteMgCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Oⓘ MagnesiteMgCO3
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Mgⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Mgⓘ MagnesiteMgCO3
Mgⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
SSulfur
Sⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
Sⓘ CinnabarHgS
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ MolybdeniteMoS2
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
KPotassium
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
CrChromium
Crⓘ Muscovite var. MaripositeK(Al,Cr)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH)2
FeIron
Feⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Feⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
Feⓘ Muscovite var. PhengiteKAl1.5(Mg,Fe)0.5(Al0.5Si3.5O10)(OH)2
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
CuCopper
Cuⓘ BorniteCu5FeS4
MoMolybdenum
Moⓘ MolybdeniteMoS2
AgSilver
Agⓘ HessiteAg2Te
Agⓘ PetziteAg3AuTe2
TeTellurium
Teⓘ ColoradoiteHgTe
Teⓘ HessiteAg2Te
Teⓘ PetziteAg3AuTe2
Teⓘ Native TelluriumTe
AuGold
Auⓘ Native GoldAu
Auⓘ PetziteAg3AuTe2
HgMercury
Hgⓘ CinnabarHgS
Hgⓘ ColoradoiteHgTe
PbLead
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS

Localities in this Region

USA
USA

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.

References

Turner, Henry Ward & F.L. Ransome (1897), Description of the gold belt; description of the Sonora sheet: USGS Geologic Atlas, Sonora folio (Folio No. 41), 7 pp.
Ransome, Frederick Leslie (1900), Description of the Mother Lode district, California: USGS Geological Atlas, Mother Lode (folio No. 63), 11 pp.
Nolan, Thomas Brennan (1929), Norwegian and Chileno mines: USGS Professional Paper 157: 77-78.
Logan, Clarence August (1949), Mines and mineral resources of Tuolumne County, California: California Journal of Mines and Geology (Report 45): 45(1): 66-67.
Eric, John H. (1955) Geology and mineral deposits of the Angels Camp and Sonora quadrangles, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties, California. Special Report 41. California Division of Mines
Clark, W.B. (1970) Gold Districts of California. Bulletin 193. California Division of Mines & Geologyp.126
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