Bumblebee Mine, Rockland, Ontonagon County, Michigan, USA

This unusual datolite was collected in 2009 from the Bumblebee Mine, located in Ontonagon County, Michigan. The specimen has a pinkish center with a hint of blue along the rim, making it quite unusual yet beautiful.

© Paul T. Brandes

Nice size Bumblebee Mine specimen measurtes 2 3/4" across. Collected in 1975. David Johnson Collection.

This 2 1/8" specimen was collected in 1985. David Johnson Collection.

A small brown datolite from the Bumblebee Mine, located near Rockland. The Bumblebee Mine is an unusual locality in that next to nothing is known of its operational period, or even how it got its name. Almost all of its datolite producing mine dump was crushed many years ago, leaving Bumbleebee specimens of any kind difficult to obtain. While ...

Small, oddly-colored datolite with a swirl of purples surrounding a more pink area, all with a weathered, white to grey husk. There is a small clot of transparent material (lower left of photo) that seems likely to be calcite given the cleavage, but took a good polish. Don Windeler collection, acquired 2012 from David Schuder.

© DSW 2018

Pictured above are the doors to the adit of the Bumblebee Mine, located near Rockland. Photo taken August, 2013.

These are the rock piles at the Bumblebee Mine, located near Rockland. These piles are a favourite of the locals for beautiful datolite nodules, regarded by some as the most colourful on the Peninsula. Photo taken August, 2013.