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Identity HelpSilver Bell Mine, Okanogan Co, WA unknown

25th Apr 2012 01:49 UTCKarl Volkman Expert

I have been going through some rock I picked up from the Silver Bell mine, Okanogan County WA http://www.mindat.org/loc-15916.html , which is part of the same vein system as the Zalla M mine http://www.mindat.org/loc-21948.html and American Flag Mine http://www.mindat.org/loc-18086.html . The overall vein system hosts Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Te, and Zn minerals.

One of the rocks has produced a number of small (>2mm) masses of a blue chalky looking mineral. I am leaning towards Azurite, but none of hte masses have seemed to have distinct enough crystal morphology to be sure.

Any suggestions?

25th Apr 2012 02:42 UTCDennis Tryon

Not mentioned at any of those sites, but maybe linarite?

Dennis

25th Apr 2012 03:47 UTCRobert Meyer Manager

Karl,

Take a tiny fragment off with a needle and put a drop of dilute HCl on it. Observe under your microscope. You can confirm or eliminate Azurite quite easily.

Bob

25th Apr 2012 04:19 UTCKarl Volkman Expert

I will see if I can get any fragments off that are clean enough to try with.

25th Apr 2012 06:38 UTCBart Cannon

Karl,

I think that the Silver Bell you are referring to is actually in Ferry County.

There is a very large leach pad there that was graded out in the early 1980s. Fully of vuggy quartz with lovely micro acanthite, hessite and complex micro fluorite xls, and not so good stromeyerite. Other common sulfides are present.

I've analyzed some of the blue stuff and it seemed to be all azurite.

Bart

25th Apr 2012 12:30 UTCKarl Volkman Expert

Thanks Bart!

That is the same mine, which if I recall correctly is listed in Metal Mines of Washington as ~30 ft west of the Okanogan/Ferry County line.

Have you by chance analyzed any of these yellow mica spheres from there?

25th Apr 2012 14:45 UTCBart Cannon

Karl,

Sounds like a GPS project to determine which county, but I'm pretty sure it's in Ferry County.

Haven't looked at the mica, but most of the vugs are filled with soft white kaolinite. HF or ammonium biflouride are needed to expose the goodies.

Bart

25th Apr 2012 22:06 UTCKarl Volkman Expert

Yep, and its quite possible that the pit and pad are Ferry while the Shaft was originally Okanogan, or was miss-located in the older literature and on the older topographic maps.

Another metallic that the azurite rock has been producing are a small number of lustrous ?pyrites. Have you had any of these probed Bart?

30th Apr 2012 04:57 UTCKarl Volkman Expert

Im thinking Im going to add the "pyrite" pictures to the Silver Bell page, and note in the image descriptions the possibility these may not be pyrites.

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