Esoterizona Stones 13

Galena. (Santa Cruz County)

Aurichalcite, usually pale blue, tinted green with malachite. (Pima County)

Dendrite formations under white light, calcite fluorescence under shortwave UV.

You can see how the oxidized dendrite inhibits the red calcite. (Santa Cruz County)

Esoterizona Stones 12

Fluorescent Minerals

Calcite crystals under shortwave UV and white light. 3"x2"x1.5" (Santa Cruz County)

Drill core fragment with calcite (red), aragonite (green), caliche (yellow), and fluorite (blue). Shortwave UV and white light. 2.5"x2"x1" (Santa Cruz County)

Aragonite (front)

Calcite and fluorite (back) with a glimpse of the aragonite. 6"x4"x2" (Santa Cruz County)

Calcite (red) and scheelite (blue). 4"x4"x2.5" (Santa Cruz County)

Aragonite, calcite, and fluorite. 4"x2"x3" (Santa Cruz County)

Esoterizona Stones 11

 Fluorescent Minerals

Fluorite (blue), hydrozincite (sky blue), and a hint of calcite (red).

5"x3"x2" Shortwave UV and white light. (Santa Cruz County)

Two exceptionally bright red calcite specimens.

4.5"x2"x2" & 8"x3"x2" Shortwave UV (Pima County)

Willemite (green), calcite (red), fluorite (blue), and caliche (yellow).

5"x5"x3" Shortwave UV (Pima County)

Working the Pocket

Entrance to a mine in the mountains west of Tucson.

View from the mine opening - Kitt and Baboquivari Peaks are visible in the distance.

The Yeti next to ore chute number 8. Still haven't found chutes #1-7.

Working the pocket. Unearthed a couple of decent pieces.

The Yeti had better luck - this beautiful aurichalcite specimen for example.

Nichol's Turk's Head Cactus

The Nichol's Turk's Head cactus (Echinocactus horizonthalonius var. nicholii), an endangered species with an extremely limited range in southern Arizona.

Sasco Cemetery

 

Graveyard for the Sasco company town and outlying region. Many of the plain white crosses are attributed to the anonymous victims of an influenza pandemic in 1918.

The hand-carved inscription reads:

"Cuate"

Jose Jesus Duarte

Dec 1885 - Apr 25, 1973

Cook

Backcountry Trash Talk

Or perhaps indicative of an unhealthy obsession.

Either way, go with what you know.

Sasco

Sasco was an early 1900s ore smelting facility near the Silverbell mountains.

Ore bins, which also doubled as supports for an elevated rail system.

Rumored to be the local jail. Ragged Top mountain is visible in the distance.

Remains of the Hotel Rockland.

Precious antique cans.

Warning

Wrong way on the right of way. Keep on!

Esoterizona Stones 10

Muoro Fluoro

Calcite (red), scheelite (blue), and caliche (yellow). 

7"x5"x4" Shortwave UV and white light. (Pinal County)

Mica on schist with unidentified fluorescent minerals. 

4"x3"x1.5" Shortwave UV and white light. (Pima County)

Probably calcite. 5"x3"x1.5" (Used Book Store - $8)

Shortwave UV, longwave UV, and white light. 5"x4"x1"

Minerals not yet identified. (Pima County)

Chalcedony, shortwave UV. 7"x4"x7" (Pinal County)