Mineral Evolution Database
Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.
Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org



The Mineral Evolution database is currently under development.

The goal of this page is to present localities at which the mineral is found, and estimates of the oldest possible geologic age of the minerals at these localities.


Locality Name:
Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine District, Mitchell Co., North Carolina, USA

Oldest recorded age at locality: 367
Youngest recorded age at locality: 365

mindat Locality ID: 4041
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-4041.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine District, Mitchell Co., North Carolina, USA": 19
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 17

Number of Child Localities: 17
Child Localities:
Abernathy Mine
Arrowood Mine
Big Crabtree Road
Chalk Mountain Mine
Chestnut Flats Mine
Crabtree Mine (Big Crabtree Emerald Mine)
Crabtree Mountain
English Mine (English Knob Mine)
Frank Fortner Mine
Greasy Creek Township
Gudger Mine
Hensons Creek Mine
Lawson Mine
McKinney Mine (Power Mill Creek Mine)
Smith Mine
Southers Branch Mine (Sullins Branch Mine)
Sullins Branch Mine

Latitude: 35°54'56"N
Longitude: 82°5'17"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 35.915555555556,-82.088055555556
AThis mineral is Anthropogenic.
GThis mineral is directly dated.
BThis mineral is reported as having this age.
YThis mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
OThis mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
RThe age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
PThe age displayed for this mineral is the range of ages for this mineral at all of this locality's children.
This mineral's age has not yet been recorded.

This Mineral list contains entries from this locality, including sub-localities. Minerals in bold are reported by mindat.org as occurring directly at this locality, and do not occur at any children (sublocalities) of this locality.

Elements at this locality, including sub-localities: Al B Be C Ca Cd Ce Cu F Fe H K Mg Mn Na Nb O P Pb S Si Ta Th Ti U W Y Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al H K O Pb S Si U 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllaniteAmorphousAmphiboleApatiteAragoniteAutuniteAxiniteBerylChalcopyriteClay
ClinozoisiteColumbiteCorundumCovelliteDiasporeEpidoteFeldsparFluoriteGarnetGypsum
KaoliniteMalachiteMeta-autuniteMicaMonaziteNickelineNoneNot in a structural groupPyriteQuartz
RocksaltScheeliteSchoepiteSphaleriteSpinelTitaniteTourmalineWurtziteWölsendorfiteZircon

66 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Albite  (*)Allanite-(Ce)  (*)Almandine  (*)Alunite  (*)
Aragonite  (*)Autunite  (*)Axinite-(Mn)  (*)Becquerelite  (*)Beryl  (*)
Bornite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Churchite-(Y)  (*)Clarkeite  (*)Clinozoisite  (*)
Columbite-(Fe)  (*)Columbite-(Mn)  (*)Cordierite  (*)Covellite  (*)Epidote  (*)
Euxenite-(Y)  (*)Fergusonite-(Y)  (*)Fluor-dravite  (*)Fluorapatite  (*)Fluorite  (*)
Fourmarierite  (*)Gahnite  (*)Galena  (*)Goethite  (*)Greenockite  (*)
Halloysite-7Å  (*)Hematite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Kasolite  (*)Kyanite  (*)
Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Meta-autunite  (*)Metatorbernite  (*)Microcline  (*)
Monazite-(Ce)  (*)Muscovite  (*)Opal  (*)Orthoclase  (*)Uranophane-β  (*)
Phlogopite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)Quartz  (*)Riebeckite  (*)
Samarskite-(Y)  (*)Scheelite  (*)Schoepite  (*)Schorl  (*)Spessartine  (*)
Sphalerite  (*)Tantalite-(Mn)  (*)Titanite  (*)Torbernite  (*)Uraninite  (*)
Uranophane-α  (*)Vandendriesscheite  (*)Wölsendorfite  (*)Xenotime-(Y)  (*)Zircon  (*)
Zoisite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Actinolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe2+0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)236736512521113419
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)3673658252109,252110,252111,252113,252114,252117,252120,2521218803
Allanite-(Ce)  (*)Allanite EpidoteCaCe(Al2Fe2+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)3673651252109706
Almandine  (*)GarnetFe2+3Al2(SiO4)33673659252106,252109,252110,252111,252114,252117,252119,252120,2521242353
Alunite  (*)NoneKAl3(SO4)2(OH)63673650966
Aragonite  (*)AragoniteCa(CO3)36736512521063250
Autunite  (*)AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O3673657252109,252110,252114,252117,252121,252122,2521241272
Axinite-(Mn)  (*)AxiniteCa4Mn2+2Al4[B2Si8O30](OH)2367365125212188
Becquerelite  (*)NoneCa(UO2)6O4(OH)6·8H2O367365125211792
Beryl  (*)BerylBe3Al2Si6O183673654252110,252111,252117,2521214286
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS436736512521215516
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2367365125212127198
Churchite-(Y)  (*)GypsumY(PO4)·2H2O367365125211770
Clarkeite  (*)NoneNa(UO2)O(OH)·nH2O3673653252114,252117,25212118
Clinozoisite  (*)Clinozoisite EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)3673654252109,252111,252120,2521211025
Columbite-(Fe)  (*)ColumbiteFe2+Nb2O63673652252117,252121518
Columbite-(Mn)  (*)ColumbiteMn2+Nb2O63673651252121289
Cordierite  (*)BerylMg2Al4Si5O1836736512521111008
Covellite  (*)CovelliteCuS36736512521214165
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)3673653252113,252117,2521218173
Euxenite-(Y)  (*)ColumbiteY(NbTi)O63673651252121414
Fergusonite-(Y)  (*)ScheeliteYNbO43673652252117,252121196
Fluor-dravite  (*)TourmalineNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3F36736512521118
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F36736512521222740
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF236736512521119617
Fourmarierite  (*)SchoepitePb1-xO3-2x(UO2)4(OH)4+2x·4H2O367365061
Gahnite  (*)SpinelZnAl2O43673652252109,252114445
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS367365125212124243
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)36736512521147437
Greenockite  (*)WurtziteCdS3673651252121717
Halloysite-7Å  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4367365125210752
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O33673653252110,252114,25212114640
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)436736512521175591
Kasolite  (*)NonePb(UO2)(SiO4)·H2O3673651252117198
Kyanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2OSiO436736501507
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O43673653252110,252111,25211414899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)23673652252109,25212112537
Meta-autunite  (*)Meta-autuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·6H2O3673651252114388
Metatorbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O3673652252109,252120443
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)3673657252109,252110,252114,252117,252120,252121,2521244924
Monazite-(Ce)  (*)MonaziteCe(PO4)3673651252121945
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)236736512252106,252109,252110,252111,252113,252114,252115,252117,252118,252120,252121,25212417380
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O3673656252108,252109,252120,252121,252123,2521242994
Orthoclase  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)3673653252113,252117,2521232349
Uranophane-β  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O3673651252109144
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)236736512521112273
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS23673653252111,252114,25212139462
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S836736512521219056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO236736510252106,252109,252110,252111,252113,252117,252118,252120,252121,25212461156
Riebeckite  (*)Amphibole   Na2(Fe2+3Fe3+2)Si8O22(OH)23673651252118375
Samarskite-(Y)  (*)ColumbiteYFe3+Nb2O83673653252114,252117,252121353
Scheelite  (*)ScheeliteCa(WO4)36736512521214894
Schoepite  (*)Schoepite(UO2)4O(OH)6(H2O)6367365125211494
Schorl  (*)TourmalineNaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)36736512521112705
Spessartine  (*)GarnetMn2+3Al2(SiO4)33673652252111,2521171214
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS367365125212121482
Tantalite-(Mn)  (*)ColumbiteMn2+Ta2O63673651252110211
Titanite  (*)TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O3673652252111,2521214899
Torbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·12H2O3673654252109,252120,252121,2521241059
Uraninite  (*)FluoriteUO23673656252110,252113,252114,252117,252121,2521222718
Uranophane-α  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O3673656252109,252114,252117,252120,252121,252122890
Vandendriesscheite  (*)NonePb1.6(UO2)10O6(OH)11·11H2O3673652252117,25212152
Wölsendorfite  (*)WölsendorfitePb7(UO2)14O19(OH)4·12H2O367365125211743
Xenotime-(Y)  (*)ZirconY(PO4)3673651252111939
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)3673654252111,252114,252117,2521215251
Zoisite  (*)EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)3673655252110,252111,252113,252121,2521221025


1 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel IDMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)Age as listed in referenceDating MethodAge InterpretPrioritized?Sample SourceSample NumRun NumAge from other LocalityDated MineralMinerals explicitely stated as having this ageAge applies to these ElementsMinDat Locality IDDated Locality (Max Age)Location as listed in referenceReferenceReference DOIReference IDAge Notes
Bradley_2012_164367365366±1U/Pb zircon  YesZircon  49771McHone Mine Pegmatite, Spruce Pine District, Mitchell Co., North Carolina, USAMcHoneMcCauley and Bradley (2014)10.3749/canmin.52.2.183CM52_183 

SampleSource LocalityReference URL
R070683Chalk Mountain Mine, Spruce Pine, Spruce Pine District, Mitchell Co., North Carolina, USAhttps://rruff.info/R070683

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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