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:
Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA

Oldest recorded age at locality: 1860
Youngest recorded age at locality: 48

mindat Locality ID: 66741
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-66741.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA": 29
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 28

Number of Child Localities: 28
Child Localities:
Ascension Mine (Nare Lease; Nair Prospect)
Aubrey - Ladwig Mine (Aubrey Ladwig Lease; Gary Mine)
Bankers Lode Claim
Buckman Property (Golden Gate Canyon Prospect No. 2)
Caldwell Pit
Cervi Lease Occurrence
Coal Creek
Coal Creek Quartzite
Coors Quarry
Eldorado Pit
Hoffmeister Uranium Prospect
Ladwig
Ladwig Group (Ladwig No. 2; Ladwig No. 3; Claims: Ladwig No. 1)
Mena Mine (Hoffmeister Homestead Prospect; Black Judge Shaft; Nigger Shaft)
North Star Mine
Ohman Mine (Nare Lease)
Ralston Creek
Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine)
Union Pacific Shaft Occurrence (Union Pacific Prospect)
Unknown Mica Occurrence (MRDS - 10016145)
Unknown Mica Occurrence (MRDS - 10016147)
Unknown Quartz - Feldspar Occurrence (MRDS - 10190956)
Unknown REE Occurrence (MRDS - 10016138)
Unknown Stone (MRDS - 10263947)
Unnamed Cu Prospect (MRDS - 10013712)
Unnamed Cu Prospect (MRDS - 10087812)
Unnamed Mo Prospect (MRDS - 10013711)
Unnamed W Prospect (MRDS - 10094625)

Latitude: 39°49'5"N
Longitude: 105°18'15"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 39.818055555556,-105.30416666667

A	This mineral is Anthropogenic.
G	This mineral is directly dated.
B	This mineral is reported as having this age.
Y	This mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
O	This mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
R	The age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
P	The 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.

Amorphous	Amphibole	Andalusite	Arsenic	Arsenopyrite	Autunite	Baryte	Beryl	Calcite	Chalcanthite
Chalcopyrite	Chalcostibite	Clay	Copper	Corundum	Covellite	Digenite	Epsomite	Feldspar	Fluorite
Garnet	Gypsum	Hydrotalcite	Johannite	Löllingite	Malachite	Marcasite	Meta-autunite	Mica	Mixite
Molybdenite	Nickeline	None	Not in a structural group	Perovskite	Phosphuranylite	Pyrite	Quartz	Rocksalt	Scheelite
Schoepite	Skutterudite	Sphalerite	Spinel	Staurolite	Stibnite	Tetrahedrite	Woodwardite	Zippeite	Zircon

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: Ag Al As Au Ba Bi C Ca Co Cu F Fe H K Mg Mn Mo Ni O P Pb S Sb Si U W Zn

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Ba Cu H O S

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality:
Amorphous Amphibole Andalusite Arsenic Arsenopyrite Autunite Baryte Beryl Calcite Chalcanthite
Chalcopyrite Chalcostibite Clay Copper Corundum Covellite Digenite Epsomite Feldspar Fluorite
Garnet Gypsum Hydrotalcite Johannite Löllingite Malachite Marcasite Meta-autunite Mica Mixite
Molybdenite Nickeline None Not in a structural group Perovskite Phosphuranylite Pyrite Quartz Rocksalt Scheelite
Schoepite Skutterudite Sphalerite Spinel Staurolite Stibnite Tetrahedrite Woodwardite Zippeite Zircon

73 IMA Minerals at location:

Almandine ()*	Andalusite ()*	Ankerite ()*	Arsenopyrite ()*	Autunite ()*
Azurite ()*	Baryte ()*	Bayleyite ()*	Bismuth ()*	Bismuthinite ()*
Bornite ()*	Calcite ()*	Chalcanthite ()*	Chalcocite ()*	Chalcopyrite ()*
Coffinite ()*	Cordierite ()*	Covellite ()*	Cuprite ()*	Digenite ()*
Dolomite ()*	Emplectite ()*	Epsomite ()*	Fluorite ()*	Fourmarierite ()*
Galena ()*	Glaucodot ()*	Gold ()*	Graphite ()*	Grunerite ()*
Gypsum ()*	Hematite ()*	Johannite ()*	Jordisite ()*	Liebigite ()*
Magnetite ()*	Malachite ()*	Marcasite ()*	Maucherite ()*	Meta-autunite ()*
Metatorbernite ()*	Metazeunerite ()*	Mixite ()*	Molybdenite ()*	Muscovite ()*
Nickeline ()*	Orthoclase ()*	Pararammelsbergite ()*	Phosphuranylite ()*	Pyrite ()*
Pyrrhotite ()*	Quartz ()*	Rammelsbergite ()*	Scheelite ()*	Siderite ()*
Sillimanite ()*	Silver ()*	Skutterudite ()*	Spessartine ()*	Sphalerite ()*
Staurolite ()*	Stromeyerite ()*	Swartzite ()*	Tennantite-(Fe) ()*	Tenorite ()*
Tetrahedrite-(Zn) ()*	Torbernite ()*	Uraninite ()*	Uranophane-α ()*	Uranopilite ()*
Uranospinite ()*	Woodwardite ()*	Zippeite ()*

Mineral name	Structural Groups	IMA Formula	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	# of Sublocalities containing mineral	LOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids	# of localities containing mineral
Almandine ()*	Garnet	Fe²⁺₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃	1860	48	1	190802	2353
Andalusite ()*	Andalusite	Al₂SiO₅			1	190792	1310
Ankerite ()*	None	Ca(Fe²⁺,Mg)(CO₃)₂	1860	48	4	190784,190798,190802,190803	3092
Arsenopyrite ()*	Arsenopyrite	FeAsS	1860	48	1	190802	9052
Autunite ()*	Autunite	Ca(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·10-12H₂O	70.4	68.2	1	190802	1272
Azurite ()*	Not in a structural group	Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂			2	190799,190803	5509
Baryte ()*	Baryte	Ba(SO₄)	1860	48	0		11547
Bayleyite ()*	None	Mg₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃·18H₂O	70.4	68.2	1	190802	38
Bismuth ()*	Arsenic	Bi			1	190798	1966
Bismuthinite ()*	Stibnite	Bi₂S₃			1	190798	1935
Bornite ()*	None	Cu₅FeS₄	1860	48	6	190787,190797,190798,190799,190802,190803	5516
Calcite ()*	Calcite	Ca(CO₃)	1860	48	6	190784,190787,190797,190798,190802,190803	27770
Chalcanthite ()*	Chalcanthite	Cu(SO₄)·5H₂O	1860	48	0		925
Chalcocite ()*	None	Cu₂S	1860	48	8	190786,190787,190797,190798,190799,190802,190803,190810	5707
Chalcopyrite ()*	Chalcopyrite	CuFeS₂	1860	48	7	190784,190787,190796,190797,190798,190802,190803	27198
Coffinite ()*	Zircon	U(SiO₄)·nH₂O	70.4	68.2	3	190785,190797,190802	566
Cordierite ()*	Beryl	Mg₂Al₄Si₅O₁₈			1	190797	1008
Covellite ()*	Covellite	CuS	1860	48	6	190787,190797,190798,190799,190802,190803	4165
Cuprite ()*	Not in a structural group	Cu₂O			1	190786	2970
Digenite ()*	Digenite	Cu_1.8S	1860	48	4	190796,190797,190798,190802	1027
Dolomite ()*	None	CaMg(CO₃)₂	1860	48	2	190797,190802	9895
Emplectite ()*	Chalcostibite	CuBiS₂			1	190803	246
Epsomite ()*	Epsomite	Mg(SO₄)·7H₂O	1860	48	1	190802	484
Fluorite ()*	Fluorite	CaF₂	1860	48	7	190784,190785,190786,190790,190791,190797,190802	9617
Fourmarierite ()*	Schoepite	Pb_1-xO_3-2x(UO₂)₄(OH)_4+2x·4H₂O			1	190785	61
Galena ()*	Rocksalt	PbS	1860	48	5	190784,190796,190797,190798,190802	24243
Glaucodot ()*	Arsenopyrite	(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)AsS			1	190798	131
Gold ()*	Copper	Au			1	190798	30554
Graphite ()*	None	C	1860	48	1	190802	2812
Grunerite ()*	Amphibole	Fe²⁺₂Fe²⁺₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂	1860	48	1	190802	223
Gypsum ()*	Gypsum	Ca(SO₄)·2H₂O	1860	48	1	190802	6890
Hematite ()*	Corundum	Fe₂O₃	1860	48	7	190786,190787,190797,190798,190799,190802,190803	14640
Johannite ()*	Johannite	Cu(UO₂)₂(SO₄)₂(OH)₂·8H₂O	70.4	68.2	1	190802	69
Jordisite ()*	Amorphous	MoS₂	1860	48	1	190802	102
Liebigite ()*	None	Ca₂(UO₂)(CO₃)₃·11H₂O	70.4	68.2	1	190802	78
Magnetite ()*	Spinel	Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄			2	190798,190801	14899
Malachite ()*	Malachite	Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂			4	190786,190799,190803,190810	12537
Marcasite ()*	Marcasite	FeS₂	1860	48	2	190798,190802	5674
Maucherite ()*	None	Ni₁₁As₈			1	190798	161
Meta-autunite ()*	Meta-autunite	Ca(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·6H₂O			2	190785,190797	388
Metatorbernite ()*	None	Cu(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·8H₂O			2	190785,190797	443
Metazeunerite ()*	None	Cu(UO₂)₂(AsO₄)₂·8H₂O			1	190785	182
Mixite ()*	Mixite	Cu₆Bi(AsO₄)₃(OH)₆·3H₂O	1860	48	1	190802	168
Molybdenite ()*	Molybdenite	MoS₂	1860	48	4	190787,190798,190802,190811	5800
Muscovite ()*	Mica Clay	KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	1860	48	2	190797,190802	17380
Nickeline ()*	Nickeline	NiAs	1860	48	2	190798,190802	633
Orthoclase ()*	Feldspar	K(AlSi₃O₈)			1	190798	2349
Pararammelsbergite ()*	Löllingite	NiAs₂			1	190798	52
Phosphuranylite ()*	Phosphuranylite	KCa(H₃O)₃(UO₂)₇(PO₄)₄O₄·8H₂O			1	190785	182
Pyrite ()*	Pyrite	FeS₂	1860	48	8	190784,190785,190787,190796,190797,190798,190802,190803	39462
Pyrrhotite ()*	Nickeline	Fe₇S₈	1860	48	5	190787,190797,190798,190802,190811	9056
Quartz ()*	Quartz	SiO₂	1860	48	8	190784,190785,190787,190791,190797,190798,190801,190802	61156
Rammelsbergite ()*	Löllingite	NiAs₂	1860	48	2	190798,190802	233
Scheelite ()*	Scheelite	Ca(WO₄)			1	190812	4894
Siderite ()*	Calcite	Fe(CO₃)	1860	48	3	190796,190797,190802	6417
Sillimanite ()*	Not in a structural group	Al₂SiO₅			1	190797	1516
Silver ()*	Copper	Ag			1	190798	5186
Skutterudite ()*	Skutterudite Perovskite	CoAs₃			1	190803	531
Spessartine ()*	Garnet	Mn²⁺₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃	1860	48	1	190802	1214
Sphalerite ()*	Sphalerite	ZnS	1860	48	4	190797,190798,190802,190803	21482
Staurolite ()*	Staurolite	Fe²⁺₂Al₉Si₄O₂₃(OH)			1	190797	978
Stromeyerite ()*	None	CuAgS			1	190798	332
Swartzite ()*	None	CaMg(UO₂)(CO₃)₃·12H₂O	70.4	68.2	1	190802	4
Tennantite-(Fe) ()*	Tetrahedrite	Cu₆(Cu₄Fe₂)As₄S₁₃	1860	48	2	190802,190803	1803
Tenorite ()*	None	CuO			2	190786,190803	1101
Tetrahedrite-(Zn) ()*	Tetrahedrite	Cu₆(Cu₄Zn₂)Sb₄S₁₃			1	190798	5317
Torbernite ()*	None	Cu(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·12H₂O	70.4	68.2	4	190787,190797,190799,190802	1059
Uraninite ()*	Fluorite	UO₂	70.4	68.2	11	190784,190785,190787,190789,190796,190797,190798,190799,190800,190802,190803	2718
Uranophane-α ()*	None	Ca(UO₂)₂(SiO₃OH)₂·5H₂O	70.4	68.2	4	190787,190797,190799,190802	890
Uranopilite ()*	None	(UO₂)₆(SO₄)O₂(OH)₆·14H₂O			1	190787	94
Uranospinite ()*	None	Ca(UO₂)₂(AsO₄)₂·10H₂O			1	190787	51
Woodwardite ()*	Woodwardite Hydrotalcite	(Cu_1-xAl_x)(SO₄)_x/2(OH)₂·nH₂O (x < 0.5, n < 3x/2)	1860	48	1	190802	57
Zippeite ()*	Zippeite	K₂[(UO₂)₄(SO₄)₂O₂(OH)₂](H₂O)₄	70.4	68.2	1	190802	175

Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:

Age ID	Locality Notes
Giersdorf_00000883	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000884	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000885	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000886	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000887	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000888	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000889	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000890	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000891	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US
Giersdorf_00000892	The Schwarzwalder Mine was the largest producing vein-type uranium deposit in the US

10 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel ID	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	Age as listed in reference	Dating Method	Age Interpret	Prioritized?	Sample Source	Age applies to these Elements	MinDat Locality ID	Dated Locality (Max Age)	Location as listed in reference	Reference	Reference DOI	Reference ID	Age Notes
Giersdorf_00000883	67.9	63.1	65.5±2.4	K-Ar	age of Ralston dike		biotite		6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Age of the closest intrusive body to the Schwarzwalder Mine
Giersdorf_00000884	73.9	65.3	69.6±4.3	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb206/Pb204 and U238/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000885	94	70	82±12	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb207/Pb204 and U235/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000886	78	52	65±13	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb206/Pb204 and U238/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000887	92	52	72±20	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb207/Pb204 and U235/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000888	81	59	70±11	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb206/Pb204 and U238/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000889	98	48	73±25	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb207/Pb204 and U235/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000890	70.4	68.2	69.3±1.1	U-Pb	Age of Uranium ores	high		U	6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb206/Pb204 and U238/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000891	72.2	67.6	69.9±2.3	U-Pb					6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858	Pb207/Pb204 and U235/Pb204 Age
Giersdorf_00000892	1860	1600	1730±130		Age is given for the source age for the metals in the ores found in the mine				6282	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	Schwartzwalder Mine	Ludwig et al. (1985)	10.2113/gsecongeo.80.7.1858	EG80_1858

Sample	Source Locality	Reference URL
R050662	Schwartzwalder Mine (Ralston Creek Mine), Ralston Buttes District, Jefferson Co., Colorado, USA	https://rruff.info/R050662

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...