The Rainbow is a gold mine located in Sierra county, California.
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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Rainbow MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Rainbow
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Location
State: California
County: Sierra
Land Status
Not available
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: Y
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
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Carbonate
Rocks
Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Serpentine
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Siderite
Comments
Comment (Production): RAINBOW VEIN YIELDED ALL BUT $50,000 . BEFORE 1884 AS MUCH AS $60,000 TAKEN OUT IN SINGLE DAY, & $100,000/MO. A SINGLE SPECIMEN EXHIBITED IN SAN FRANCISCO CONTAINED $20,468 AU. FERGUSON GIVES $145/FT RATIO FOR RAINBOW, $22/FOOT FOR CLINTON.
Comment (Deposit): VEINS, ORE SHOOTS
Comment (Workings): WINZES FROM GRAVEL ADIT. LONG XCUT GROVES TUNNEL 1400 FT. LOWER ADIT W INCLINED SHAFT ON VEIN.
Comment (Commodity): RAINBOW VEIN HAS YIELDED NEARLY ALL PRODUCTION. HIGH GRADE ORE ASSOC W COARE ARSENOPYRITE NR SERPENTINE. SML SHOOTS OF EXCEEDINGLY RICH ORE IN CLINTON OR NORTH VEIN GROUP. PRACTICALLY ALL PRODUCTION FROM JUNCTION OF RAINBOW & CLINTON VEINS. GOLD IN FLAKES ALSO, IN GOUGY SLIP OF PRESUMED INTERMINERAL AGE. HIGH GRADE ORE POSSIBLY ON 2 LOWEST LEVELS, AND NORTHERLY EXT OF PARALLEL VEIN. GROUND BETWEEN E. END OF RAINBOW WORKINGS, AND WORKINGS OF OR IFLAMME, IRELAN & ARCADE MINES UNEXPLORED
Comment (Location): UTM EST. N 1/2
Comment (Geology): 3 VEINS OF SAME AGE. RAINBOW & BARREN PARALLEL VEINS ARE PARALLEL: THE CLINTON STRIKES N, DIPS STEEPLY W & LIMITS OTHER TWO. VEINS CUT BY SERPENTINE & GABBRO DIKE. CHLORITIZED AMPHIBOLITE SCHIST HANGING WALL HAS BEEN ALTERED TO MARIPOSITE, SIDERITE, ANKERITE. SCHIST DRAG IMPLIES REVERSE FAULTING, W UNKNOWN DISPLACEMENT. WALLROCK OFTEN BLACK PEBBLY SLATE. SERPENTINE DIKE &, IN GROVES ADIT, FOOTWALL. RAINBOW VEIN STRIKES N 75 - 80 W IN UPPER WORKINGS, N 45 - 55 W IN LOWER, DIPS 20 - 70 NE, STEEPER ABOVE. AVE THICKNESS NO MORE THAN 2 FT, QTZ LACKING IN PLACES. CONTINOUS FOR 1400 FT. PARALLEL VEIN LIES IN HANGING WALL OF RAINBOW VEIN, 100 FT E, CONTINUOUS, THIN, FOR 150 FT. CLINTON OR NORTH GROUP OF VEINS, SEPERATED IN PLACES BY SEVERAL FT OF COUNTRY ROCK, STRIKES N 8 W, DIPS STEEPLY W. ITS FISSURING FAULTS RAINBOW SYSTEM, THOUGH FILLING IS CONTEMPORANEOUS. POSSIBLY FISSURING FADED OUT AGAINST THE SERP DIKE TO THE S. N PROJECTION TO RAINBOW EXTENSION POSSIBLE. FAULT MOVEMENT IN DIFFERENT
Comment (Geology): DIRECTIONS AT DIFFERENT TIMES MAKE VEIN JUNCTION REGION COMPLEX. FISSURING & FOLDING LATER THAN VEIN BUT PRIOR TO AU INTRODUCTION IS SHOWN. POST-MINERAL MOVEMENT ALONG & IN VEINS. GREEN SCHIST, PROBABLY ALTERED TUFF, FORMS FOOTWALL BUT NOT WELL ENOUGH EXPOSED TO DETERMINE FAULT DISPLACEMENT, WHICH PROBABLY WASNT LARGE, LESS THAN 100 FT. ALTERED CARBONATE-MARIPOSITE TYPE WALLROCK W ANKERITE MARIPOSITE GREEN BANDING, & SIDERITE OR FE RICH ANKERITE BROWN BANDING MORE PROMINENT IN GREEN SCHIST THAN BLACK SLATE, SLICKENSIDE PLATED PYRITE OF SUPERGENE ORIGIN? TO E RAINBOW VEIN LOST IN STRINGERS WHICH STEEPEN & FOLLOW SLATE CLEAVAGE.
References
Reference (Deposit): MCCULLOCH, W. C., OESTERLING, W. A., SPURCK, W. H., & TISCHLER, M. S., 1964 , MINERALS FOR INDUSTRY, N CALIF. : SO. PACIFIC COMPANY, VOL. 2 , P. 35 - 36 .
Reference (Production): FERGUSON, 1932
Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C. V., 1942 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SIERRA CO.: CDM CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOL., VOL. 38 , NO. 1 , P. 63 .
Reference (Deposit): FERGUSON, H. G., & GANNETT, R. W., 1932 , GOLD QTZ VEINS OF THE ALLEGHANY DISTRICT, CALIF.; USGS PROF. PAPER 172 , P. 102 - 105 .
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.
