Star of the West Mine (Star De West), Mountain Spring, Argus Mining District (Kellcy Mining District; Sherman Mining District), Argus Mts (Argus Range), Inyo County, California, USAi
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
35° 52' 19'' North , 117° 33' 47'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Searles Valley | 1,739 (2011) | 18.5km |
| Ridgecrest | 28,780 (2017) | 29.4km |
| China Lake Acres | 1,876 (2011) | 31.5km |
| Inyokern | 1,099 (2018) | 33.6km |
| Johannesburg | 172 (2011) | 55.9km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Searles Lake Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. | Trona, California | 21km |
| Indian Wells Valley Gem & Mineral Society | Ridgecrest, California | 29km |
A former Au mine located in secs. 4, 5, 8 & 9, T24S, R41E, MDM, 8.5 km (5.3 miles) S of Mountain Spring (5.6 miles NE of the Paxton Ranch site), on/formerly on private (patented) land within a military reservation (China Lake Naval Ordnance Test Station). Property consists/consisted of 7 patented claims. MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 10 meters.
Mineralization is a vein deposit with a vein 3 feet thick, hosted in granite. The ore body strikes NW and dips 20SW, 75NE, at a thickness of 0.91 meter.
To the SE is another 18 inch thick vein along the dike. The diorite dike cuts granite SE of the main workings. Diorite is an associated rock. Local rocks include Mesozoic granitic rocks, unit 3 (Sierra Nevada, Death Valley area, Northern Mojave Desert and Transverse Ranges).
Workings include underground openings comprised of a number of tunnels 50 to 100 feet in length. A 20 foot deep shaft was sunk on the 18 inch thick vein to the SE of the tunnels. Ore was transported over an aerial tram to a mill in Wilson Canyon.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Native Gold Formula: Au |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| O | Oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Au | Gold | |
| Au | ⓘ Native Gold | Au |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10103492 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mojave DomainDomain
- Southern Basin and RangeWide Rift
USA
- Sierra NevadaMountain Range
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References
(n.d.) Minerals Availability System (MAS), U.S. Bureau of Mines.file ID #0060270222
