Ruby Mine

The Ruby Mine is a copper, zinc, lead, and silver mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,480 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: Ruby Mine
Secondary: Claims: Ruby 1-4
Secondary: Ms 12174

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Lincoln (Lincoln Gulch, Ruby) District

Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1897
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

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Arkansas Valley Graben, Twin Lakes Batholith

Type: L
Description: Grizzly Peak Cauldron, Mt Elbert Volcanotectonic Depression, Lincoln Gulch Stock

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Sericite, Quartz-Sericite-Pyrite, Argillic, Fe Oxidation

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Anglesite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): COMMODITIES AND ORE MINERALS LISTED FROM ORIGINAL CRIB RECORD (USBM REF.). CRUSON (1973) REPORTED SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF DUMP SAMPLES SHOWING TRACES OF W, SB, AND AG.

Comment (Location): ON HILLSIDE EAST OF LINCOLN GULCH 6 MILES SSW FROM INDEPENDENCE TOWNSITE AND 1.6 MILES SW OF GRIZZLY PEAK, ON WEST FLANK OF WEST RED MTN. PROPERTY MAY INCLUDE OTHER ADJACENT CLAIMS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Deposit): VEINS TREND N 20 W WITH STEEP TO VERTICAL DIPS

Comment (Workings): AT LEAST ONE TUNNEL OF UNKNOWN EXTENT DRIVEN GENERALLY ENE.

References

Reference (Deposit): CRUSON, M.G., 1973, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK CAULDRON COMPLEX, SAWATCH RANGE, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES PH.D. THESIS T-1538.

Reference (Deposit): HOWELL, J.V., 1919, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TWIN LAKES DISTRICT OF COLORADO: CGS BULL. 17, 106 P.

Reference (Deposit): USBM MIN. EXAM FILE

Colorado Mining Photos

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