Silver Bell

The Silver Bell is a gold and silver mine located in Okanogan county, Washington.

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: Silver Bell

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver

Location

State: Washington
County: Okanogan

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N

Physiography

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

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: East-West Extension During The Eocene Resulted In Formation Of The Torada Creek Graben And Other Structures In Which A Thick Section Of Volcanic And Sedimentary Materials Was Deposited And Preserved (Holder And Others, 1989).

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Trachyte
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Eocene

Name: Trachyte
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Eocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Sanidine

Comments

Comment (Deposit): UNDERGROUND WORKINGS CONSIST OF TWO ADITS, A 50-FT SHAFT, AND SEVERAL SHALLOW SHAFTS. MOEN (1980, P. 70) REPORTED THAT DRILLING DONE BY THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IN 1978 DILINEATED 124,000 TONS OF ROCK HAVING AN AVERAGE VALUE OF 5.46 OZ/TON AG AND 0.014 OZ/TON AU. MOEN (1980, P. 69) ALSO REPORTED ASSAYS ON THE SILICEOUS BRECCIA THAT RANGE FROM 0-30 OZ/TON AG; AS MUCH AS 120 FT OF BRECCIA ASSAYED 3.0 OZ/TON AG AND, A 13-FT SECTION ASSAYED AS MUCH AS 26.55 OZ/TON AG. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Geology): GEOLOGIC SETTING IS SIMILAR TO THAT AT THE AMERICAN FLAG MINE WHERE VOLCANIC ROCKS IN THIS PART OF THE TORODA CREEK GRABEN PLOT AS RHYOLITE ON A TAS DIAGRAM, BUT CONTAIN SPARSE PLAGIOCLASE AND MAFIC PHENOCRYSTS IN AN APHANITIC GROUNDMASS THAT CONTAINS ABUNDANT PLAGIOCLASE MICROLITES. PLAGIOCLASE PHENOCRYSTS ARE COMMONLY STRONGLY SERICITIZED, AND MAFIC MINERALS ARE GENERALLY REPLACED BY SOME COMBINATION OF CHLORITE, CALCITE, EPIDOTE, AND SPHENE; SHAPES OF ALTERED MAFIC MINERALS SUGGEST THAT THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PYROXENE. THE PRESENCE OF SILICA STRINGERS AND VEINLETS IN SOME OF THESE ROCKS SUGGEST THAT SILICA WAS INTRODUCED DURING ALTERATION (STOFFEL, 1990, P. 11).

Comment (Production): HIGH-GRADE GOLD ORE WAS REPORTED SHIPPED FROM A SURFACE PIT PRIOR TO 1907. IN 1940 A 29-TON SHIPMENT GAVE NET SMELTER RETURNS OF $244.03 (HUNTTING, 1956, P. 148). THE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION IN THE 1980'S.

References

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E.; JOSEPH, N.L.; LASMANIS, R., 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON-PRELIMINARY REPORT: STATE OF WASHINGTON, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, 577 P.

Reference (Deposit): HOLDER, R.W.; GAYLORD, D.R.; HOLDER, G.A.M., 1989, PLUTONISM, VOLCANISM, AND SEDIMENTATION ASSOCIATED WITH CORE COMPLEX AND GRABEN DEVELOPMENT IN THE CENTRAL OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS, WASHINGTON. IN JOSEPH, N.L.; AND OTHERS, 1989, GEOLOGIC GUIDEBOOK FOR WASHINGTON AND ADJACENT AREAS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 86, P. 187-200.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M. T., 1949, DIRECTORY OF WASHINGTON MINING OPERATIONS, 1949: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY INFORMATION CIRCULAR 17, 62 P.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M. T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS-PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, 428 P.; V. 2, 67 P.

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1980, MYERS CREEK AND WAUCONDA MINING DISTRICTS OF NORTHEASTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES BULLETIN 73, 96 P., 6 PL.

Reference (Deposit): STOFFEL, K.L., COMPILER, 1990, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE REPUBLIC 1:100,000 QUADRANGLE, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-10, 62 P., 1 PL.

Reference (Deposit): WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND MINING, 1941, DIRECTORY OF WASHINGTON MINING PROPERTIES: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND MINING INFORMATION CIRCULAR 7, 74 P.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.