Black Diamond Mine

The Black Diamond Mine is a gold and silver mine located in La Plata county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,841 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: Black Diamond Mine

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Tellurium

Location

State: Colorado
County: La Plata
District: California (La Plata) 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: Black Diamond Mining Co.
Home Office: Hesperus, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Owner Name: R. S. Bullock
Home Office: Hesperus, Co.
Years: 1940 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1939
Discovery Year: 1895
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Navajo Section

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Four Corners Platform

Type: L
Description: La Plata Dome, Diorite Peak Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, Kaolinitization, Chloritization

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Permian

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: MCCAUSLAND'S (1936) ASSAYS OF QUARTZ ORE: 1.66 OZ/TON AU AND 2.88 OZ/TON AU AND 4.4 OZ/TON AG, 2.14 OZ/TON AU AND 4.8 OZ/TON AG, 3.08 OZ/TON AG, 3.08 OZ/TON AU AND 1180 OZ/TON AG.

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. PRODUCTION FROM 1900-1906 UNKNOWN.

Comment (Development): UNPATENTED CLAIMS LOCATED BY AUGUST EKBURG IN 1890S. INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION 1900-1906, 1920-1921, 1935, AND 1938-1939.

Comment (Deposit): COUNTRY ROCKS CONSIST OF SILICIFIED CUTLER FM RED BEDS AND REPLACELIMESTONE CONGLOMERATE OF DOLORES FM INTRUDED BY DIORITE-MONZONITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIORITE. MINE DEVELOPED NEAR INTERSECTION OF BLACK DIAMOND (N 35 TO 40 E, 60 TO 65 NW) AND WHITE DIAMOND (65 E, 80 TO 85 SE) VEINS WITH FAULT N 35 TO 40 E, NEAR VERTICAL). BLACK DIAMOND VEIN CONSISTS OF 5 TO 15 FT OF SHEARED AND ALTERED ROCKS AND GOUGE CONTAINING STREAKS AND POCKETS OF PYRITE-BEARING QUARTZ. BARITE, CHALCOPYRITE, GALENA, AND AU. IN NO. 1 TUNNEL, WHITE DIAMOND VEIN HAS CORE OF BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED COUNTRY ROCK FLANKED BY 1 TO 4 FT OF GOUGY, KAOLINITIZED ANDCHLORITIZED WALLROCK; BRECCIA CORE CONTAINS STREAKS AND VEINLETS OF QUARTZ, PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE, IREGULAR MASSES OF NATIVE AU. GREEN COLOR OF QUARTZ AND SIMILARITY WITH NEARBY VEINS SUGGEST SOME AU IS CARRIED AS TELLURIDE.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). ON NE SIDE OF TOMAHAWK BASIN JUST SW OF DIORITE PEAK, 2.55 MILES NNE FROM LA PLATA TOWNSITE (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1974

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY FIVE TUNNELS. NO. 1 TUNNEL DRIVEN SE FOR 30 FT, THENCE NE FOR 45 FT. OLD NO. 2 TUNNEL (CAVED) LOCATED 255 FT SW OF NO. 1 AND DRIVEN N 62 E FOR 310 FT, THENCE N 37 E FOR 150 FT. NO. 3 TUNNEL LOCATED 375 FT SW OF OLD NO. 2, DRIVEN N 55 E FOR 180 FT, THENCE INTO WHITE DIAMOND DRIFT AT N 64 E FOR 490 FT AND INTO BLACK DIAMOND DRIFT INITIALLY NW FOR 60 FT THENCE N 38 E FOR 175 FT. NO. 2 BLACK DIAMOND TUNNEL (CAVED) LOCATED 100 FT NW OF OLD NO. 2, DRIVEN N 39 E FOR 200 FT. FAULT TUNNEL LOCATED 290 FT NE OF OLD NO. 2 DRIVEN N 40 E FOR 200 FT. FIVE SHORT EXPLORATORY TUNNELS ON WHITE DIAMOND VEIN.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1890S

References

Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E.B., AND OTHERS, 1949, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE LA PLATA DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 219, P. 69-70, 93-96, 171.

Reference (Deposit): BECKER, C.M., 1934, REPORT ON THE TOMAHAWK AND BLACK DIAMOND PROPERTIES, SAN JUAN DISTRICT, LA PLATA COUNTY, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 5P.

Reference (Deposit): MCCAUSLAND, ROSS, 1936, TOMAHAWK-BLACK DIAMOND MINES, DURANGO, COLORADO: UNPUB. ENG. REPT., 22 P.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPT.

Reference (Production): ECKEL AND OTHERS, 1949, P. 94 (AS COMPLIED FROM USBM RECORDS).

Colorado Mining Photos

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