Quartz

Specimen Summary

Bridge River, British Columbia

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral on Earth, present in many different types of rocks. Although usually clear or milky white in colour, quartz is found in a variety of colours due to impurities in the crystal structure. Pure quartz consists of silicon and oxygen only, but atoms of other elements often make their way into the quartz crystal structure, colouring the crystals. Some varieties of quartz, like purple amethyst and yellow citrine, are considered to be semi-precious gemstones and have been used since ancient times to make jewellery and decorative objects. Well-formed (euhedral) crystals of quartz have a hexagonal cross section and are highly collectible.

This sample of quartz is from the Bridge River area north of Pemberton in southern BC. The area has been the focus of extensive prospecting and exploration since gold was first found there in the 1880s. The Bridge River area is referred to as a mining camp, not because people camp there (although countless geologists, miners and prospectors have over the years!) but because of the large number of mineral deposits and prospects that are located within that particular area. The Bridge River mining camp includes five former mines (the Bralorne, Pioneer, Wayside, Minto and Congress mines) as well as more than 60 mineral prospects.

The geology of the Bridge River area makes it ideal for mineral deposit formation. Favorable volcanic and sedimentary host rocks were intruded by several different igneous bodies, that generated heat to drive ore fluids through the host rocks through pores and along faults and fractures.

Gold was first located by placer miners on Gun Creek in 1859, but it wasn’t until the 1880s that the rich gold placer gravels were discovered near what is today the town of Gold Bridge. The largest gold nugget found in that area weighed 368 grams!

Prospectors continued exploring the area, and between 1896 and 1915 discovered many of the lode gold sources (in-situ, hard rock sources of gold). Gold was actively mined in the area until 1983, when the Pioneer mine, the last producing mine in the area, finally closed. In total, the Bridge River mining camp has produced over 7.4 megatonnes of ore, including 130 tonnes of gold and 10 tonnes of silver. As well as precious metals, over 10 tonnes of copper, 60 tonnes of lead and 0.3 tonnes of zinc have also been mined in the area. Although no mines are active today, geologists and prospectors continue searching for the next big deposit.

Specimen Data

 

The information listed below relates to the current holding location or collection that the sample is from, and whether the item is viewable at that location or is part of a private collection. Coordinates are given as guides, and we remind you that collecting specimens from these locations is not allowed. Caution is advised visiting such sites and Below BC assumes no responsibility for any injuries or trespassing charges that may occur as a result of the viewer entering these sites.

Collection Details

Original Collection:

Association for Mineral Exploration (AME)

Sub Collection:

-

Collection ID:

AME-605

Virtual Museum ID:

19-AME605

Accessibility:

Date Added to VM:

2017-11-02

Location Information

Sample Origin:

Bridge River, BC

Specific Site:

-

UTM Easting:

566755.351

UTM Northing:

5628574.217

Datum:

10 (NAD 83)

Coordinate Accuracy:

Approximate

Specimen Details

VM Category:

Mineral

Primary Features:

Quartz

Primary Mineral Formula:

SiO2

Primary Category:

oxide

Secondary Features:

Advanced Geological Information

 

The following section provides geological data relating to the specimen or the site it was collected from, when available. Information has been obtained from various sources including private and government datasets but may not be up to date. Any geological time periods or ages listed often relate to the primary geology of the area, and may not be the actual date of an event such as mineral formation.

Geological Formation:

N/A

Geological Period:

N/A

Stratigraphic Age:

N/A

Geological Belt:

N/A

Geological Terrane:

N/A

Minfile ID:

N/A

Minfile Link:

N/A

Site Details:

N/A

Additional Images