So, what did we find in Cobalt? Here’s a list of the minerals for those interested:
Safflorite (cobalt): Collecting cobalt in Cobalt has a nice symmetry in my mind. Almost every mine site we visited offered a rock or two of this mineral. All told, I brought home over 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of it! This sample was found by Robert at the Lawson Mine.
- Chalcopyrite: The first mine we visited offered a nice sample of chalcopyrite in a vein ¼” thick. This sample was found by Reiner at the Cobalt Load Mine.
- Erythrite: The pink crust on this specimen is a mineral called erythrite. We found it at a couple of different locations. It is another cobalt based mineral, sometimes called red cobalt. This sample was found by Reiner.
- Annabergite: This mineral appears in the area as small nuggets of apple green, clay-earth. Originally, they were small bits of Nickelite that have deteriorated over the years in the ground. Reiner remembered finding these nuggets years ago when he was collecting and was kind enough to show me where to dig! This sample was found by myself at the Crown Reserve Mine.
- Chapenite: I don’t know much about this mineral (except that it has a wonderful colour!). It is very rare, and I’m looking forward to exploring it’s suitability as a pigment. This sample was found by Maggie.
- Ochre Earth: When I was digging for annabergite, a hit a strata of a beautiful orange earth. I collected a bag full of this iron stained dirt to experiment with. This sample was found by myself at the Crown Reserve Mine.
