Spruce Ridge, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, Snoqualmie Mining District, King County, Washington, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Spruce Ridge | Group of Mines (Active) |
| Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River | River |
| Snoqualmie Mining District | Mining District |
| King County | County (Historical) |
| Washington | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
47° 30' 31'' North , 121° 22' 4'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Group of Mines (Active) - last checked 2022
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Snoqualmie Pass | 311 (2011) | 13.2km |
| Skykomish | 207 (2017) | 22.3km |
| Tanner | 1,018 (2011) | 28.7km |
| Riverbend | 2,132 (2011) | 29.1km |
| Baring | 220 (2011) | 30.7km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Spruce 15 claim; Spruce 16 claim; Spruce Claim; Spruce Peak
A mineral specimen/gemstone occurrence and active mine/group of claims located in the SE¼ sec. 2, T23N, R11E, WM, along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. The USGS MRDS database stated accuracy for this locality is 1,000 meters.
Claims filed by Bear Creek Mining in the 1950's, Spruce was part of a group of 170 claims held for exploration of a large, deep-seated Cu porphyry. Worked for specimens by What on Earth, Inc., Ohio (Sandy Ludlum) in 1977 & 1978; Bob Jackson, Stan Esbenshade, and Neil Pfaff 1979-1982, & Geology Adventures, Inc. from 1983 to 2008. Patented in 2001, mineral rights now held by Spruce Collectors, LLC, a membership organization.
Mineralization is a quartz-pyrite deposit hosted in breccia zones in granodiorite. Local rocks include Tertiary granitic rocks.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Ankerite Formula: Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 Habit: subparallel curved rohombhedral crystals Colour: white, orange, light tan Description: Massive ankerite present as open-space filling in pockets. crystalline ankerite selectively coats pyrite, and forms attractive rosettes perched on quartz. |
| ⓘ Baryte Formula: BaSO4 Habit: tabular bladed crystals to several inches across, occasionally perched on quartz crystal plates. Colour: white, bluish, tan Description: Often zoned, usually slightly etched producing rounded crystal edges. |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 Habit: crystals to 1" in length Colour: clear to translucent |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ 'Chlorite Group' |
| ⓘ Cosalite Formula: Pb2Bi2S5 Colour: silvery Description: Usually as tapered needles included the base of quartz crystals. |
| ⓘ Epidote Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) Colour: green to brown Description: As a rock-forming mineral in areas of thermally altered breccia; as inclusions in quartz crystals. |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: Fe3+O(OH) References: |
| ⓘ 'Limonite' |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 Description: As coatings from decomposing chalcopyrite |
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au |
| ✪ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 Habit: Cubes and pyritohedrons to 5 inch diameter. Often truncated by octohedron, trisoctohedron, and diploid. Colour: corroded to brilliant brass-yellow; silvery if cleaned in acid Description: Pyrite perched atop quartz crystals are common, particularly when a second generation of pyrite crystallization/etching is present in the pocket. Specimens of perched pyrites usually have a layer of iron oxides between the quartz and pyrite crystals, and frequently the contacts are somewhat distorted or hollow due to etching. |
| ⓘ Pyrite var. Bravoite Formula: (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Habit: crystals to many inches in size Colour: clear to amethyst Description: japan law twins and scepter crystals occasionally found |
| ✪ Quartz var. Amethyst Formula: SiO2 Habit: Always sceptered Colour: pale purple to grape juice |
| ✪ Quartz var. Sceptre Quartz Formula: SiO2 Colour: clear to milky to amethystine Description: over 50% of quartz crystals can be sceptered in some vugs. References: |
| ⓘ Siderite Formula: FeCO3 |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS |
| ⓘ 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite var. Bravoite | 2.EB.05a | (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| ⓘ | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 | |
| ⓘ | 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' | 2.GB.05 | Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
| ⓘ | Cosalite | 2.JB.10 | Pb2Bi2S5 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Amethyst | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| ⓘ | var. Sceptre Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Siderite | 5.AB.05 | FeCO3 |
| ⓘ | Ankerite | 5.AB.10 | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Epidote | 9.BG.05a | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Limonite' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| C | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| C | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| O | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Sceptre Quartz | SiO2 |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Sceptre Quartz | SiO2 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite var. Bravoite | (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Cosalite | Pb2Bi2S5 |
| S | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| S | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Ankerite | Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite var. Bravoite | (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Epidote | (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Siderite | FeCO3 |
| Ni | Nickel | |
| Ni | ⓘ Pyrite var. Bravoite | (Fe,Ni)S2 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Malachite | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| Zn | Zinc | |
| Zn | ⓘ Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Sb | Antimony | |
| Sb | ⓘ Tetrahedrite Subgroup | Cu6(Cu4C22+)Sb4S12S |
| Ba | Barium | |
| Ba | ⓘ Baryte | BaSO4 |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
| Pb | Lead | |
| Pb | ⓘ Cosalite | Pb2Bi2S5 |
| Pb | ⓘ Galena | PbS |
| Bi | Bismuth | |
| Bi | ⓘ Cosalite | Pb2Bi2S5 |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10204893 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
- Cascade RangeMountain Range
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Cascade ArcVolcanic Arc
- Franciscan DomainDomain
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
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References
Cannon, Bart (1975) Minerals of Washington. Cordilleran, Mercer Island, WA.pages 45, 54, 140, 145
Lasmanis, Raymond (1991) Minerals of the Spruce 16 Claim King County, Washington. Rocks & Minerals, 66 (4) 316-320 doi:10.1080/00357529.1991.11761636
Spruce Ridge, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, Snoqualmie Mining District, King County, Washington, USA