Table Of ContentMINERALS
OF CALIFORNIA
MINERALS
OF CALIFORNIA
H. Earl Pemberton
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Pemberton, H. Earl, 1907-
Minerals of California.
An updating of: Minerals of California:
centennial volume, 1866-1966/ by Joseph Murdoch and
Robert Wallace Webb.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Mineralogy-California. 2. Mines and mineral
resources-California. I. Murdoch, Joseph,
1890- Minerals of California. II. Title.
QE375.C32P45 549.9794 81-15963
ISBN-\3: 978-1-4684-6640-9 AACR2
Preface
In 1866 William P. Blake, professor of mineralogy, geology and mining at the
College of California, parent to the University of California, Berkeley, prepared
as a report to the State Board of Agriculture an "Annotated Catalog of the
Principal Mineral Species Hitherto Recognized in California and the adjoining
States and Territories." Seventy-seven mineral species appeared on the list. It
was the beginning of a series that became known as Minerals of California.
This first catalog was followed in 1884 and 1886 by a list of 135 species
compiled by H. G. Hanks, the first state mineralogist of California, and pub·
lished in the fourth and sixth State Mining Bureau reports. Then beginning in
1914 with a volume prepared by A. S. Eakle, professor of mineralogy at the Uni
versity of California, Berkeley, the Division of Mines and Geology published new
editions in the series at approximately ten-year intervals.
Author Year Mineral Species
A. S. Eakle 1914 352
A. S. Eakle 1923 417
A. Pabst 1938 446
J. Murdoch and R. W. Webb 1948 516
J. Murdoch and R. W. Webb 1956 523
J. Murdoch and R. W. Webb 1966 602
(For a more detailed review of the Minerals of California series, see I. Campbell,
1966, pp. 13-19.)
For over 100 years the series has served those who have a historic, scientific
or economic interest in California minerals. This addition to the series includes
data from earlier editions, new information reported in the literature since 1964,
the date of the cutoff for data in the last California state edition, plus some data
from the literature of earlier years which was not reported in previous editions.
It is not possible to express adequate appreciation for the help this author has
received from others in the preparation of this volume: Professor Adolf Pabst,
University of California, Berkeley, who gave needed technical advice, reviewed a
substantial portion of the manuscript, and provided personal support and con
fidence; Edgar H. Bailey, U. S. Geological Survey, who reviewed and amended
the mercury-mineral sections; Norman F. Page, U. S. Geological Survey, who
reviewed the platinum metals and sulfides sections; Professor John Wasson,
y
vi PREFACE
University of California, Los Angeles, who helped with the meteorites sec
tion; Richard C. Erd, U. S. Geological Survey, who provided needed data on
a series of new species; Vincent Morgan, former chief chemist of U. S. Borax @
Chemical Company, who reviewed and provided additional data for the borates
chapter; members of the Bay Area Mineralogists Society who provided many
personal reports of mineral occurrences; Russell MacFall, who reviewed the
manuscript editorially; David Burgess, who checked a portion of the biblio
graphy; Cliffton H. Gray and Wilma L. Ashby of the California Division of
Mines and Geology Los Angeles Office, who provided state publications for
review; and finally, Marge and John Sinkankas, who gave advice and support for
the project, and who also prepared the majority of the crystal drawings for
publication.
H. Earl Pemberton
Lake Elsinore, California
Contents
Preface / v
1. Introduction / 1
2. Native Elements / 8
3. Sulfides / 63
4. Oxides / 143
s.
Halides / 188
6. Carbonates / 198
7. Borates / 236
8. Sulfates / 263
9. Phosphates, Arsenates / 304
10. Tungstates, Molybdates, Nitrates and Organics /331
11. Silicates I / 344
12. Silicates II / 405
13. Silicates III /446
Bibliography / 519
Index to Mineral Species / 581
Index to Maps / 589
vii
MINERALS
OF CALIFORNIA
1
Introduction
Reported herein are the occurrences of 736 terrestrial mineral species, plus 5
species found in meteorites. * The large number of species found in the state is
the result of the diverse character of the state's eleven geomorphic provinces
(See Map 1-1). From the lake-bed deposits of the Basin Ranges and Mojave
Desert provinces have come the abundant borate and saline species. The Coast
Ranges province, dominated by the Franciscan formation and associated serpen
tinites, has been the source of the minerals of the mercury deposits, the car
bonates and other products of serpentine alteration, and the typical Franciscan
species. The precious metals - gold and platinum - have been found mainly in
the Sierra Nevada and the Klamath Mountains provinces. These mountain
regions, together with the Basin Ranges and Mojave Desert provinces, have been
the principal sources of the base metals, their sulfides, and their oxidation
products. And from the Peninsular Ranges province have come the numerous
pegmatitic and associated contact-zone species.
The minerals are grouped here under the major classifications - elements,
sulfides, oxides, and so on. Within each major group the minerals are presented
generally according to the geochemical classification system used by Kostov in
his 1968 textbook, Mineralogy.
The chemical formula is given for each species. The following table lists the
chemical elements and symbols. The valence superscripts of bivalent Fe and Mn
are not shown in the chemical formulas. However, trivalent superscripts are shown.
The occurrences of each mineral species or group of species are reported by
county of occurrence. Map 1-2 shows the county boundaries and county names.
When possible, locations of mines and other deposits are given in the following
notation: Section (Sec.), Township (T.), Range (R.), and Meridian (M.D.M. -
Mount Diablo Meridian; S.B.M. - San Bernardino Meridian; and H.M. - Humboldt
Meridian). Sometimes it is possible to give this information by quarter section, for
example, NW~Sec. 5. When this type of location detail is not available, the lati
tude and longitude will be given if possible, for example, lat. 360 15', long. 1170 10'.
The arrangement of sections within a township is illustrated by Figure 1-1.
*M. Fleischer's 1980 Glossary of Mineral Species is the source used for determining the
validity of species.
2 MINERALS OF CALIFORNIA
Weights and lengths are given by some authors in standard U. S. units
ounces, pounds, inches, and feet. Other authors use the metric system. Rather
than converting all measures to one system or the other, the author's practice is
retained. The following brief table provides a means of conversion when desired.
Maps, tables, figures and photos are numbered serially by chapter. For ex·
ample, Map 2-4 is the number four map in chapter 2, and Photo 6·2 is the
second photo in chapter 6. Many maps relate to more than one species. A map
MAP OF
CALIFORNIA
SHOWING
GOLD-BEARING AREAS
AND
GEOMORPHIC PROVINCES
SCALE
°.. .
_401::::::::=:,:8.0 ..- 0:120 "i~,
t
I
EXPLANATION
I KLAMATH MOUNTAINS
:0: CASCADE RANGE
m MODOC PLATEAU
lY COAST RANGES
:lZ" GREAT VALLEY ~ ,
E' SIERRA NEVADA
:!ZII BASIN RANGES
::lZIII MOJAVE DESERT
]X TRANSVERSE RANGES
X PENINSULAR RANGES
XI COLORADO DESERT
4, GOLD-BEARING AREA
Map 1·1. Map of California showing geomorphic provinces and gold·bearing areas.
INTRODUCTION 3
is usually numbered and positioned with the species first reported in the text
at the map locality. Reports of additional species found at the map locality
are cross-referenced to the pertinent map.
A few technical terms are possibly unfamiliar to some users of this reference
volume. Following· is a brief glossary of terms the writer feels may be in this
category.
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;---'T--'~'-''''
l
01,
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T-=~2: ~~~--~~-,-------~.".
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Map 1-2. Outline map of California showing county boundaries.
