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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Blackcraig Mine (East Blackcraig Mine; West Blackcraig Mine), Blackcraig, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UKi
Regional Level Types
Blackcraig Mine (East Blackcraig Mine; West Blackcraig Mine)Mine (Abandoned)
Blackcraig- not defined -
Dumfries and GallowayCouncil Area
ScotlandCountry
UKCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
54° 57' 19'' North , 4° 25' 19'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
UK National Grid Reference:
NX450650
Type:
Mine (Abandoned) - last checked 2018
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Newton Stewart4,010 (2017)3.9km
Creetown650 (2017)6.5km
Wigtown900 (2017)9.8km
Gatehouse of Fleet950 (2017)17.2km
Port William466 (2011)24.1km
Mindat Locality ID:
2890
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:2890:8
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Kirkcudbrightshire


There were two mines at Blackcraig: West Blackcraig was located just south of the military road; East Blackcraig was to the north, where Kirroughtree Forest is today. Both were operated by the Craigtown Mining Company.

The mining lease was granted in 1764 with production in full operation by the 1770s, declining by the 1790s. In the mid-1800s production began again, finally ending in 1917. Ores of lead, zinc and copper are present, but it was the first that was the target of the miners, although some zinc was produced later in the mines' life, along with silver as a by-product (the galena being slightly argentiferous). The deposit is one of the largest in S.W. Scotland outside of the Leadhills/Wanlockhead district, but the once extensive spoil heaps have now mostly been cleared. What remains is mineralogically sparse, and densely overgrown.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


23 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

Aurichalcite
Formula: (Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Habit: from waxy botryoidal crusts to radiating flaky aggregates
Brochantite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
Dolomite
Formula: CaMg(CO3)2
Erythrite
Formula: Co3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
Galena
Formula: PbS
Hemimorphite
Formula: Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Hydrozincite
Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Langite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
Habit: scales; tabular crystals showing perfect pinacoidal cleavage
Colour: blue
Linarite
Formula: PbCu(SO4)(OH)2
Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Marcasite
Formula: FeS2
Millerite
Formula: NiS
Description: capillary crystal bundles in cavities.
Posnjakite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
Colour: dark blue
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Serpierite
Formula: Ca(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Habit: pearly, fibrous to lath-like aggregates
Colour: sky blue
Siegenite
Formula: CoNi2S4
Description: Fine-grained bronze-like patches in mine dump material. Two electron-probe microanalyses of an X-rayed grain gave: Co = 30.0-31.0%, Ni = 24.3-25.0%, Fe = 1.6%, Cu = 0.3-0.5%.
Smithsonite
Formula: ZnCO3
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
Wroewolfeite
Formula: Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
Habit: grains; bladed aggregates
Colour: dark blue

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Chalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Millerite2.CC.20NiS
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Siegenite2.DA.05CoNi2S4
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Marcasite2.EB.10aFeS2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Calcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Smithsonite5.AB.05ZnCO3
Dolomite5.AB.10CaMg(CO3)2
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Malachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Aurichalcite5.BA.15(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Hydrozincite5.BA.15Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Brochantite7.BB.25Cu4(SO4)(OH)6
Linarite7.BC.65PbCu(SO4)(OH)2
Langite7.DD.10Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
Posnjakite7.DD.10Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
Wroewolfeite7.DD.10Cu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
Serpierite7.DD.30Ca(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
Erythrite8.CE.40Co3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
Group 9 - Silicates
Hemimorphite9.BD.10Zn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
H BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
H ErythriteCo3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
H HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
H HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
H LangiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
H LinaritePbCu(SO4)(OH)2
H MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
H PosnjakiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
H SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
H WroewolfeiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
CCarbon
C Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
C CalciteCaCO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
C HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
C MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
C SmithsoniteZnCO3
OOxygen
O Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
O BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
O CalciteCaCO3
O CerussitePbCO3
O DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
O ErythriteCo3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
O HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
O HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
O LangiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
O LinaritePbCu(SO4)(OH)2
O MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
O PosnjakiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
O QuartzSiO2
O SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
O SmithsoniteZnCO3
O WroewolfeiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
MgMagnesium
Mg DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
SiSilicon
Si HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Si QuartzSiO2
SSulfur
S BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
S ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
S GalenaPbS
S LangiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
S LinaritePbCu(SO4)(OH)2
S MarcasiteFeS2
S MilleriteNiS
S PosnjakiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
S PyriteFeS2
S SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
S SiegeniteCoNi2S4
S SphaleriteZnS
S WroewolfeiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
CaCalcium
Ca CalciteCaCO3
Ca DolomiteCaMg(CO3)2
Ca SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
FeIron
Fe ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Fe MarcasiteFeS2
Fe PyriteFeS2
CoCobalt
Co ErythriteCo3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
Co SiegeniteCoNi2S4
NiNickel
Ni MilleriteNiS
Ni SiegeniteCoNi2S4
CuCopper
Cu Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Cu BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6
Cu ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cu LangiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
Cu LinaritePbCu(SO4)(OH)2
Cu MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cu PosnjakiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · H2O
Cu SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Cu WroewolfeiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6 · 2H2O
ZnZinc
Zn Aurichalcite(Zn,Cu)5(CO3)2(OH)6
Zn HemimorphiteZn4Si2O7(OH)2 · H2O
Zn HydrozinciteZn5(CO3)2(OH)6
Zn SerpieriteCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6 · 3H2O
Zn SmithsoniteZnCO3
Zn SphaleriteZnS
AsArsenic
As ErythriteCo3(AsO4)2 · 8H2O
PbLead
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb LinaritePbCu(SO4)(OH)2

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
EuropeContinent

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