Oriental

The Oriental is a gold mine located in Sierra county, California at an elevation of 4,049 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

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Oriental
Secondary: Alta

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Platinum

Location

State: California
County: Sierra
District: Alleghany 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.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Sierra Nevada

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Form: VEIN

Structure

Type: R
Description: Melones Fault Zone

Type: L
Description: Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Carbonate, Albitic

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ORE RAN AS HIGH AS $1000/TON. PT DETECTED IN NATIVE GOLD SAMPLES UP TO 86.4 PPM (AVG. 32 PPM)

Materials

Ore: Gold
Ore: Silver
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Talc
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Commodity): GOLD IS ASSOCAITED WITH ARSENOPYRITE

Comment (Production): REPORTEDLY $734,000 IN GOLD WAS OBTAINED FROM AREA ON VEIN 14 BY 22 FT

Comment (Geology): OLDEST ROCK IS SCHISTOSE QUARTZITE, WHICH GRADES INTO FINE-GRAINED MICA SCHIST WITH THIN QUARTZITE BANDS. QUARTZITE NOT FOUND IN UNDERGROUND WORKINGS.

Comment (Deposit): VEIN PRODUCTIVE WHEREVER SERPENTINE CONTACT WAS EXPLORED. MOST PRODUCTIVE AREA WAS A NARROW BAND OF GABBRO BETWEEN GRANITE AND SERPENTINE. A NEW ORE BODY WAS DISCOVERED IN 1952. VEINS CONSIST OF BRANCHES AND STRINGERS WITH THE GREATEST THICKNESS IN 7TH AND 8TH LEVELS. VEIN DISPLACES POROUS GRANITE DIKE ABOUT 160 FT HORIZONTALLY AND 200 FT DOWN DIP. DIKE IS 50 FT THICK IN UPPER WORKINGS, 350 FT THICK IN LOWER WORKINGS. GRANITE IS COARSE, UP TO ICM+. FELDSPAR IN GABBRO UNRECOGNIZABLE, AUGITE ALMOST COMPLETELY ALTERED TO HORNBLENDE. MINOR THRUSTING OCCURRED DURING AND AFTER MINERALIZATION. ALTA MINE IS 500 FT SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ORIENTAL SHAFT. DUMPS AT ALTA MINE CONTAIN COARSELY CRYSTALLINE ARSENOPYRITE AND PYRITE. VEINS AT THE TWO MINES MAY UNITE IN BROKEN GROUND ABOVE 5TH LEVEL.

Comment (Workings): 4150 FT ADIT AND RAISE INTERSECTS INCLINED SHAFT ON VEIN. 10 LEVELS WITH SHORT DISTANCES. RECENT WORK ON ADIT LEVEL. ALTA WORKINGS CAVED.

References

Reference (Deposit): MCCULLOCH, W.C., OESTERLING, W.A., SPURCK, W.H., AND TISCHLER, M.S., 1964, MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: SUMMARY OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF 1955-1961: SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY, V. 2, P. 37.

Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C.V., 1942, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SIERRA COUNTY: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGYU, V. 38, NO. 1, P. 33, 35, 62.

Reference (Deposit): FERGUSON, H.G., AND GANNETT, R.W., 1932, GOLD QUARTZ VEINS OF THE ALLEGHANY DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 172, P. 98-101, PL. 15.

Reference (Deposit): J.K. BOHLKE, 1982, WRITTEN COMMUN. TO N.J PAGE, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Reference (Deposit): LOGAN, C.A., 1941, MINERAL RESOURCES OF NEVADA COUNTY: CALIFORNIA JOURNAL OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 37, NO. 3, P. 374-408, 425-436, 441-468.

Reference (Production): FERGUSON AND GANNETT (1932),, AVERILL (1942)

California Gold

"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.