Sylvanite Mine

The Sylvanite Mine is a silver and gold mine located in San Juan county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,690 feet.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Sylvanite Mine

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Antimony

Location

State: Colorado
County: San Juan
District: Beartown (Bear Creek) District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Calaverite Mining Co.
Home Office: Silverton, Co.
Years: 1897 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1892
Discovery Year: 1893
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Alkaline Au-Te (Au-Ag-Te veins)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: San Juan Uplift, Unnamed Fault, Unnamed Anticline

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Rhyodacite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1969) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF TWO SAMPLES OF VEIN MATERIAL CONTAINING SPHALERITE (SOUTHERN PORTION) AND CHALCOPYRITE-TETRAHEDRITE (NORTHERN PART) SHOWED (RESPECTIVELY) 1500 AND 500 PPM TI, 50 AND 70 PPM MN, 7 AND 20 PPM AG, LT 200 PPM AS, 1000 AND 300 PPM BA, LT 10 PPM BI, LT 20 AND GT 500 PPM CD, LT 5 PPM CO, 20 AND 10 PPM CR, 30 AND 700 PPM CU, LT 5 PPM MO, 5 AND 10 PPM NI, 20 AND 300 PPM PB, 700 AND 500 PPM SB, LT 10 PPM SN, LT 100 AND 100 PPM SR70 AND 30 PPM V. LT 50 PPM W, 300 AND GT 10000 PPM ZN, 5 AND 15 PPM FE.CHEMICAL ANALYSES SHOWED 19 AND 0.2 PPM AU, 24000 AND 10 PPM CU, 44 AND200 PPM PB, 320 AND 5000 PPM ZN, 12 AND 8 PPM MO, LT 10 AND 20 PPM AS, GT 100 PPM SB, 0.5 AND 1.6 PPM HG, 38 AND 36 PPM TE, 64 AND 46 PPM AG.

Materials

Ore: Calaverite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Marcasite
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Hematite

Comments

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON HILLSIDE ABOVE UNNAMED HEADWATER TRIBUTARY OF BEAR CREEK 0.55 MILE NE OF HUNCHBACK PASS AND 1.0 MILES SW FROM BEARTOWN SITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Commodity): TELLURIDES (EXCEPT CALAVERITE), CU-PB-ZN SULFIDES, AND OXIDIZED ORES LISTED ARE REPORTED GENERALLY FROM DISTRICT AND NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED AT THIS MINE. MINOR PRODUCTION OF CU AND PB LIKEWISE NOT VERIFIED.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LIES AT NORTH END OF ARCUATE NNE- TO NW- TRENDING (CONCAVE EAST) QUARTZ VEIN NEAR CREST OF SE-PLUNGING ANTICLINE (AS IMPLIED BY CROSS AND OTHERS' MAP). VEIN CUTS ACROSS SLATE AND PHYLLITE AT MINE SOUTH INTO QUARTZITES EAST OF KANKAKEE MINE.

Comment (Workings): ONE TUNNEL DRIVEN 270 FT GENERALLY SW. AT MOUTH OF TUNNEL, 90-FT SHAFT SUNK WITH 60-FT SOUTH DRIFT DRIVEN AT 36 FT; 20-FT-LONG STOPE DEVELOPED THROUGH TO ADIT LEVEL; FROM BOTTOM OF SHAFT, SOUTH DRIFT AND WESTCROSSCUT OF UNKNOWN EXTENT DRIVEN.

References

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1969, MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE SAN JUAN PRIMITIVE AREA, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1261-F, P. 67-71, 89-90.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND OTHERS, 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-764.

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, AND OTHERS, 1905, DESCRIPTION OF THE NEEDLE MOUNTAINS QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS FOLIO 131.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INSP. REPTS., 1897, P. 284.

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.